Kolkata: A workshop on First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems for the upcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election 2026 was held today at the Taal Kutir Convention Centre in New Town, Kolkata.
The workshop was organised ahead of the FLC process, which will commence on November 27, 2025, across 10 districts and continue until January 15, 2026, covering a total of 52 venues.
Officials including District Election Officers (DEOs), Additional District Magistrates (Election), District EVM Nodal Officers and FLC Supervisors from 24 districts attended the programme. The event was inaugurated by Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal Shri Gyanesh Bharti, IAS, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India.
Throughout the day, experts conducted technical training and explained the complete operational lifecycle of EVMs and VVPATs. Sessions covered key topics such as machine handling, randomisation, commissioning, polling procedures, counting protocols, and post-counting operations.
P.C. Mondal, an expert from ECIL, provided detailed insights into the design and security features of the machines. Shri Madhusudan Gupta, Secretary, EVM Division, ECI, emphasised common operational mistakes and preventive measures.
Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs were made available at the venue for live demonstrations by engineers. Participants engaged actively in hands-on sessions and gained clarity on technical and procedural aspects. The programme concluded with a doubt-clearing interaction and evaluation exercise.
All participants submitted declarations confirming that they had fully understood the topics discussed and had no pending queries.
