55 engineers to check each of 4,274 vote verification machines

Mysore/Mysuru: Over 4,274 VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails) systems arrived in the city on the night of Feb. 14 amidst tight security from Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad.

On Feb, 15, the process of recording each VVPAT system through a barcode began. The systems were brought by a team of officers and staff under the leadership of Mysuru District EVM and VVPAT Nodal Officer G.T. Dinesh Kumar, who is also the Commissioner of MUDA.

Over 100 officers drawn from various Government Departments checked the barcodes of the VVPAT systems after scanning the barcodes with their mobile phones and uploading the data to the ECIL. Each officer was given a unique login and password to ensure confidentiality and eliminate the leakage of information.

Officers had to scan the barcodes and upload the data and special software has been created for the purpose. The ECIL is a repository of data of the machines/systems manufactured (‘outward’), distributed to respective districts and also the ‘inward’ data (uploaded by the recipient districts and constituencies). This fool-proof method ensures confidentiality, said sources.

On Feb. 17, the First Level Checking of the VVPAT systems will begin with a team of 55 engineers from ECIL arriving in Mysuru for the authentication process. The engineers will come to Mysuru after checking the VVPAT systems in Dakshina Kannada. After the engineers check the systems, they will be locked and will be opened only for the Second Level Checking. Till the polls are held, there will be checks at three levels, sources added.

This post was published on February 16, 2023 7:59 pm