Atam Nagar, Raikot constituencies to get special electronic voting machines

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 13

Special electronic voting machines — Voter Verification Print Audit Trail (VVPAT) — will be used in two constituencies of Atam Nagar and Raikot during the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections. 

With the help of these machines, voters will be able to check whether they have cast their votes correctly or not. 

Assistant returning officers, supervisors and other employees on election duty were imparted training in this regard by master trainer Brij Mohan Bhardwaj yesterday. 

“The Election Commission of India is doing a trial during these Vidhan Sabha elections and in some constituencies VVPAT is being used to ensure transparency in the system,” said Bhardwaj. 

All polling booths falling under these two constituencies will have these special machines, where voters will vote normally like they do on other EVMs. After a voter casts his/her vote, a print would be generated out of the machine. The printed slip will show candidate’s serial number and his party symbol. The print will remain in front of the voter for seven seconds, after which it would drop into a sealed box and maintain the secrecy of the vote. 

Meanwhile, a web-based application, “RONET” was also launched by the Ludhiana district administration for the aid of returning officers and election officials. It has been implemented as a pilot project by the Election Commission of India. The ECI launched this app for Ludhiana East and West constituencies and for Jalandhar Central constituency. 

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat is the brain behind 

this application. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, VK Singh launched the application during a special function held in Chandigarh yesterday. 

Ravi Bhagat said: “RONET has been created to help the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Officer, District Election Officer and returning officers. This application will help officials on every step and guide them regarding what they have to do in the election procedure.”