THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, March 26: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched its first-ever large-scale training program for booth-level officers (BLOs), with over one lakh officers set to be trained in batches.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi, inaugurated the initiative at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The training aims to familiarize BLOs with their responsibilities under electoral law and equip them with the necessary skills to ensure error-free voter roll updates. They will also receive training on IT applications designed to facilitate their tasks.
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The first batch, comprising 109 BLOs from Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, is attending the two-day session, alongside 24 electoral registration officers and 13 district election officers from multiple states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.
The program will roll out in phases, with an initial focus on states preparing for upcoming elections. On average, one BLO per 10 polling stations will undergo training in the coming years.
Those who complete the program will become assembly-level master trainers, strengthening the nationwide BLO network.
As the primary link between the Election Commission and over 100 crore voters, BLOs play a crucial role in the electoral process.