Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Jaideep Govind has directed all the districts to physically verify EVMs and check them by May 31. The Chief Electoral Officer reviewed preparations for EVMs, election action plan and training through video-conferencing at his office here on Friday.
Govind asked district election nodal officers to ensure EVMs’ cent percent physical verification by May 31. Following this, first-level checking of EVMs by the districts should be undertaken from June 1. He also sought information about the districts where engineers have not reached for EVMs’ checking so far. He asked the election officers to ensure release of EVMs to the districts which are not involved in the election petitions in courts.
Jaideep Govind asked the districts to ensure inclusion of names of the staff to be deployed in election duty in electoral rolls. RTOs should complete formalities for getting names of transport staff included in electoral rolls.
He also took stock of preparations for training to be imparted to district election staff and directed to chalk out a prescribed calendar for this.
Govind directed all the districts to send election related action plan. The districts were also directed to complete preparations for poll material. He said that districts should rectify electoral rolls since the Election Commission is constantly reviewing them. He also directed the districts to end EPIC ratio gap.
At the video-conferencing, it was informed that EVMs for Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections will be brought from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, concrete arrangements should be made to receive and store them. Directives were also given about preparations for postal ballots. Districts informed that nodal officers and training venues have been selected for training going to start in July.
Three master trainers have been appointed for every Vidhan Sabha constituency. Demand letter has been sent to the Government Press for printing of election stationery. Joint Chief Electoral Officer SS Bansal, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Ruhi Khan, district nodal officers, deputy district electoral officers, election supervisors etc. attended the meeting.