NEW DELHI: The Election Commission announced on Sunday the implementation of 17 new initiatives aimed at facilitating the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, with intentions to adopt these measures nationwide in future elections. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, speaking at a press conference in Patna, stated, “Seventeen new initiatives have been successfully implemented in Bihar; some will be used in the conduct of elections and some in counting.”
Kumar emphasized the role of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in preparing the voter list, noting that each of the 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar has an ERO. Together with 243 EROs and 90,207 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), they have updated the voter list, a task that had not been completed in nearly two decades.
The chief election commissioner highlighted that over 7,000 BLOs and BLO supervisors nationwide, including those from Bihar, have been trained at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Additionally, he announced that the remuneration for BLOs, BLO supervisors, and various election staff, including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and micro-observers, has been doubled. For the first time, honorariums for EROs and Assistant EROs (AEROs) have also been established, along with an increase in provisions for refreshments.
To enhance security and privacy, the Election Commission has instituted a system for voters to deposit mobile phones at counters situated just outside polling stations. Kumar indicated that steps have been taken to reduce crowding, minimize wait times, and create additional booths in densely populated residential complexes.
Moreover, the Election Commission has revised its guidelines to improve the readability of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballot papers. For the first time, EVMs will include color photographs of candidates. Kumar assured that there would be complete webcasting at every polling booth during the Bihar elections.
