Pune: Chief Electoral Officer Emphasizes Public Awareness On EVMs, VVPATs In Workshop At YASHDA

In a workshop held at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA), the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) of Maharashtra, Srikant Deshpande on Friday, highlighted the significance of constituency-wise public awareness regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) for the upcoming general elections.

The workshop witnessed the participation of Collectors, District Election Officers, Deputy Election Officers, the Additional Chief Secretary, and senior officials from the State Election Commission.

During the first session on the second day of the workshop, Deshpande focused on the "Special Short Revision Program - 2024 and First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs and VVPATs." Esteemed attendees included Joint Secretary of the Election Commission of India, OP Sahani, Pune Collector Rajesh Deshmukh, State Joint Chief Electoral Officer Manohar Parkar, and several other officials.

Deshpande underscored the transparency of the EVM process, emphasizing the impossibility of any human intervention. He urged the officials to ensure a dedicated power connection for EVMs in each polling booth and conduct thorough assessments to ascertain the impact of external factors such as sunlight and rain on the machines. In preparation for the elections, Deshpande recommended conducting mock polls and organizing training sessions to familiarize officials and employees with EVM and VVPAT handling.

Awareness in educational institutions

Additionally, Deshpande proposed organizing camps and quizzes in educational institutions to objectively educate students about EVM and VVPAT technology. He further suggested the creation of short video clips elucidating the election process for effective campaign publicity, with an emphasis on utilizing social media platforms to disseminate information.

OP Sahani advised officials to meticulously consider technical aspects while acquiring possession of EVMs during the general elections. He emphasized the necessity of promptly replacing the entire set in the event of any technical issues with the VVPATs, ensuring the accuracy of results.

Rajendra Kachre, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Bhor-Velhe, shared valuable insights during the workshop. His contributions encompassed appropriate EVM handling techniques, dispelling misconceptions, employing countermeasures to address misunderstandings, highlighting court petitions related to EVMs, relevant judgments, circulars, training programs for officials and employees, conducting mock polls, implementing VVPAT usage, ensuring the proper distribution of election materials, and outlining precautions while taking possession of materials.

The workshop also provided a platform for officials from across the state to share their experiences and perspectives gained from their involvement in the election process.