Port Blair, Mar. 1: In the preparation for the upcoming General Election-2024, a comprehensive training program was conducted for Sector Officers, Police Officers, Master Trainers and other officials in the auditorium of Tagore Govt. College of Education here today.

The training session was attended by Shri Vinayak Chamadia, IAS, SLMT/Nodal Officer (EVM), Shri Anand Vardhan Mishra, SLMT/Nodal Officer (Manpower), SLMT Shri Azharuddin Zahiruddin Quazi, IAS. Shri Som Naidu, Ex-DANICS, the Resource Person also participated in the program.

In his address, Shri Vinayak Chamadia and Shri Anand Vardhan Mishra, emphasized on the significance of elections in forming a Government. They highlighted the Election Commission of India's clear procedures for conducting elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. Polling Officers were urged to perform their duties diligently, following the detailed instructions provided by the Election Commission.

The training was aimed to familiarize Polling Officers and Sector Officers with election procedures, with Shri Vinayak Chamadia stressing on the importance of adhering to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) effectively. Shri Anand Vardhan Mishra encouraged participants to take pride in their roles as Sector Officers, emphasizing the need to be exemplary during the election duty. He recommended participants to explore the ECI website for additional information on election procedures.

Shri Azharuddin Zahiruddin Quazi, SLMT for A&N Parliamentary Constituency, highlighted the role of Sector Officers as field agents and briefed on the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Doubts raised by participants were promptly addressed. 

Resource person, Shri P Som Naidu covered topics such as duties & responsibilities of Sector Officers, Vulnerability Mapping, Critical Polling Stations and voting through Postal Ballots by Absentee Voters through a comprehensive Powerpoint presentation. Hands-on training on EVMs and VVPAT was conducted by Shri Papa Rao, Master Trainer.

Simultaneously, at the Deputy Commissioner's Office, Shri Sanjay Balan, Ex-Govt. Servant, made a presentation covering duties and responsibilities of Presiding Officers, Polling Officers, EVM and VVPAT demonstrations, Poll Day preparations and matters relating to MCC & Expenditure Monitoring Team, addressing Master Trainers and other officers/officials.