Delhi polls: Training for returning officers held

New Delhi: Delhi’s Chief Electoral office, along with the Election Commission of India, today organised a training-cum-briefing session of all Returning Officers and 1st Assistant Returning Officers for coming state assembly elections.

Vinod Jutshi, deputy election commissioner, (ECI) emphasized during the session the importance of proper training for ROs and AROs and their familiarization with the instructions issued by the Commission and various other directions of the Supreme Court related to NOTA, filing of affidavits and recent amendment to Representation of People Act 1951 on the status of a person as an elector, if he is under police custody, officials said.

SK Mendiratta, legal adviser and KF Wilfred, principal secretary, ECI, dealing with the legal matters, cited various court rulings on the matters related to nomination, scrutiny, etc.

Officers from Rajasthan, which also goes to assembly polls, were also invited as a resource person apart from the officers of ECI and CEO office.

The ROs and AROs were given demonstrations of the functioning of EVMs and various steps involved to ensure that they are installed and handled as per the laid down procedure.

Various queries raised by ROs and AROs were compiled and reply of the ECI on those will be shared with them soon.

“It has been the endeavor of the ECI and CEO office that, every officer is well equipped with the knowledge of various statutes, instructions and process on the matter of conduct of elections. It is towards this goal that repeated training sessions have been organized at various levels,” said Vijay Dev, CEO, Delhi, who presided over the function.

Dev said the training has also been percolated to the Inspectors to Head Constables and so far 8032 officers have been trained.

The training of presiding officers will be held in three phases commencing from 4 November and will be concluded by 3 December.

PTI