Kolkata: The Election Commission has intensified awareness measures in West Bengal on the use of electronic voting machines and voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, officials said on Tuesday.
A total of 6,259 ballot units (BUs), 6,259 control units (CUs) and an equal number of VVPATs have been earmarked for training and voter awareness purposes, the Office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer said.
“These EVMs and VVPATs have been taken out for training and awareness in the presence of representatives of national and state-recognised political parties,” it said in a statement.
The political parties included AAP, BSP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, NPP, AIFB and the Trinamool Congress, it said.
The list of EVMs and VVPATs being used for awareness and training has also been shared with the political parties concerned.
“The training and awareness EVMs and VVPATs will be kept at separate designated warehouses, as per guidelines issued by the Election Commission,” the statement said.
To familiarise electors with the voting process, EVM Demonstration Centres (EDCs) have been set up at the headquarters of district election officers and returning officers.
“These centres are meant for physical demonstration of EVMs and VVPATs so that the general public can learn how to cast their votes,” an official said.
In addition, 294 mobile demonstration vans have been deployed across the state to cover all polling locations and clusters, he said.
The physical awareness campaign will continue till the formal announcement of the election schedule, after which outreach
will be carried out only through digital platforms, the statement said. “Till today, the mobile demonstration vans have covered 4,617 polling stations,” it added.