Training session held for counting staff in Jalandhar district

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Jalandhar, March 4

To ensure smooth conduct of counting of votes on March 10, a training session for the counting staff for all nine Assembly segments of the district was held at the District Administrative Complex here on Friday.

Presiding over the session, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said elaborate arrangements had been made for the smooth conduct of counting. He said the counting centres had been set up on the premises or Government Meritorious School, Government Arts and Sports College, and office of Director of Land Records.

2nd rehearsal on March 8 in Nawanshahr

• The district administration on Friday organised a training session for the election staff to be deployed for the counting of votes at the three assembly segments of Banga, Nawanshahr and Balachaur on March 10
• Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Vishesh Sarangal said SDMs Navneet Kaur Bal, Dr Baljinder Singh Dhillon and District Master Trainer Surinder Agnihotri apprised the election staff of the important points to be followed involving the counting of votes
• He said both SDMs briefed them on the method of counting of votes from the electronic voting machines
• Sarangal said the counting of votes would start at 8 am on March 10 and around 300 counting staff would be deputed at the counting centres for the smooth conduct of operations

He said keeping in view the Covid-19 pandemic, this time two counting halls had been set up for each Assembly segment so that strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour could be ensured.

There would be seven tables in each hall, he said, adding that counting supervisors, counting assistants and micro observers would be deployed at these tables. He said as per ECI guidelines, no one including candidate or their counting agents would be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the counting centres. The round-wise results would be uploaded on the ECI’s website and counting of next round would be initiated immediately after the completion of previous one.

Meanwhile, district-level master trainers imparted training to counting staff about handling of EVM machines during the entire procedure, besides counting of ballot paper votes of the employees. The dry run for ballot paper counting was also held, besides providing hands-on training on encore counting module. Likewise, training about video recording of the entire procedure, handling of EVM machines, reporting of round-wise results was also given to entire staff.

On the occasion, all Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, Tehsildar Election Sukhdev Singh, Kanungo Rakesh Kumar were also present.