Jharkhand Poll Officials Receive Training on Electoral Roll Revision and Grievance Handling

New Delhi: A special training programme is underway for election officials from Jharkhand, focusing on handling public objections and grievances related to the revision of electoral rolls, an official announced on Monday.

In addition to theoretical knowledge, the participants are receiving hands-on training in using the Voter Helpline App (VHA) and other IT tools. The programme also includes technical demonstrations and practical sessions on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), along with mock poll exercises.

The two-day capacity-building programme was inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Gyanesh Kumar, at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi.

A total of 402 officials are participating in the training, including District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and BLO Supervisors, according to an official statement.

Over the past three months, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has trained more than 3,000 such officials from across the country at IIIDEM.

In his inaugural address, CEC Gyanesh Kumar praised the dedication and hard work of grassroots election officials in Jharkhand during the voter enrolment process. He encouraged participants to spread awareness among electors about their rights under Sections 24(a) and 24(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which provide for first and second appeals regarding electoral roll entries.

It is worth noting that no appeals were filed from Jharkhand following the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise held from January 6 to 10, 2025.

The participants are being trained to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, and the guidelines issued by the ECI.

The training programme includes interactive sessions, role-playing exercises, mock house-to-house surveys, case studies, and practical exercises in filling out Forms 6, 7, and 8.

With inputs from IANS