Second Day of First Level Checking (FLC) for EVMs at DAC, Namchi

Namchi, Dec 5 2023 (IPR): The Second Day of the First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) continued at DAC Conference Hall, Namchi under the supervision of Mr Anant Jain, FLC Supervisor cum Additional District Collector, Namchi.
Present during the procedural phase were representatives from various political parties, officers, and personnel from the Election Cell DAC.
The task at hand involved 10 engineers from ECIL, Hyderabad for examining the EVMs. This included a comprehensive scrutiny of both hardware components and software functionality. The procedure encompassed checks on seal integrity, button functionality, display accuracy, and a mock poll to validate the precision of the EVMs.
Mr. O. P. Sahani, Under Secretary, Election Commission of India (ECI), served as an observer and actively assessed the FLC procedure of EVMs. During this oversight, he provided instructions to the engineers involved and conducted a comprehensive examination to ensure the thoroughness of the process.
The main goal is to verify that the machines are operational and untampered before using them in elections, preserving the integrity of the electoral process. The entire FLC process was live-streamed via CCTVs for real-time monitoring by the Election Commission of India and CEO Office, Sikkim.
During this phase, Mr Bharani Kumar District Collector-cum-District Election Officer, Namchi, visited Conference Hall to oversee the meticulous adherence to established norms during the FLC process.
Out of a total of 492 EVMs, 150 have been thoroughly inspected on the initial day, another 180 today, and the rest will be examined tomorrow, progressing until the entire inspection is completed.
Post-validation, operational EVMs found themselves securely stored in a designated ‘FLC OK’ strong room, which was subsequently sealed and locked in the presence of political party members and designated officers.
The strong rooms and surroundings are under constant protection by one section of armed police personnel, ensuring 24/7 security, and are also continuously monitored by CCTV surveillance.