Mysuru: In view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, a six-week training programme for Electoral Officers (Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers) began at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) on Lalitha Mahal road in city this morning. The training programme is organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in association with the State Election Commission (SEC), ATI and India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management.

Speaking after inaugurating the programme, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjeev Kumar  Varma said that a total of 600 ROs and AROs from across the State will undergo training in 6 sessions with 100 of them in each batch on different dates.

The Electoral Officers will be trained on using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines that will be used in the forthcoming Assembly polls as well as the local body polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that follow.

The Electoral Officers will also be sensitised on other aspects of the poll process, such as voter list verification, booth security, safety and guarding of strong rooms etc., he said.

Pointing out that this was a certification programme for Electoral Officers, Sanjeev Kumar Varma said the ROs and AROs will be trained by Master Trainers accredited with the ECI and three resource persons — N.D. Parmar and Pankaj Anudhia from Gujarat and Deputy CEO V. Raghavendra from Karnataka.

Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, who is also the District Electoral Officer, said that the Electoral Officers should ensure that they get well-versed in the poll process by undergoing training and this programme provides them an opportunity to get thoroughly sensitised on the use of EVMs and VVPATs.

The ROs and AROs will be trained at Visweswaraya Hall (50 Officers) and at Radhakrishna Hall (50 Officers).

The breakfast, lunch and dinner for the participating officers have been arranged at Trupti Dining Hall and their lodging is facilitated at Kabini and Kapila Guest Houses in the ATI premises.

The first session, which commenced today, will end on Jan. 11 while the second will take place from Jan. 16, third from Jan. 29 to Feb.1, fourth from Feb. 5 to 8, fifth from Feb. 12 to 15 and the sixth from Feb. 19  to 22.

ATI Joint Director V. Bhagyalakshmi, Programme Chief Co-ordinator Loknath and other officials were present.