Patna, May 17 (IANS) In a significant move to strengthen electoral preparedness ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Election Commissioner of India (ECI) Vivek Joshi conducted an extensive review of election-related arrangements during his visit to East and West Champaran districts on Saturday.

Joshi began his tour at Motihari (East Champaran), where he inspected the First Level Checking (FLC) centre. He assessed the progress of the EVM/VVPAT verification process, interacting with Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) engineers and reviewing technical protocols.

Eighteen ECIL engineers have been stationed at the FLC centre since May 2, with operations expected to conclude by May 24.

The process is being conducted in strict accordance with ECI norms and in the presence of representatives from recognised political parties, including the BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, LJP(R), CPI(M), CPI(ML), BSP, and AAP.

Later, Joshi chaired a high-level review meeting at the district headquarters in Bettiah (West Champaran) to evaluate the status of election preparedness.

The meeting was attended by Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, District Election Officer Dinesh Kumar Rai, senior police and administrative officials, and ECI nodal officers.

The District Election Officer shared key electoral data during a presentation.

In his directives, CEO Gunjiyal emphasised the availability of assured minimum facilities at all polling stations, proper accommodations for security personnel, and timely preparations for the Special Summary Revision 2025.

Joshi underlined the need for accessibility in remote and forested polling areas. Of the 2,731 polling stations in the district, 2,423 are in rural areas, and 308 are in urban zones.

He instructed that all stations must be fully equipped for voters’ convenience.

Joshi expressed concern over low voter registration among youth aged 18-19 years, noting that only 29,897 of the estimated 2,04,162 have been enrolled, a shortfall of 85 per cent.

He ordered a special registration drive, engaging Nehru Yuva Kendra, Electoral Literacy Clubs, campus ambassadors, and educational institutions. QR codes for the Voter Helpline App will be widely displayed to facilitate digital registration.

The Commissioner also addressed the gender imbalance in the electoral roll, where the sex ratio stands at 892 compared to the census figure of 909.

He directed officials to launch focused campaigns to ensure full enrolment of eligible women voters, promoting both gender equity and higher voter turnout.

Calling the electoral roll a dynamic document, Joshi instructed that names of deceased voters must be promptly removed, and all records kept updated.

He stressed the urgency and time-bound nature of electoral tasks and urged officials to act with integrity, efficiency, and impartiality.

While West Champaran outperformed the state average of 56.28 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with a 60.59 per cent voter turnout, it still lagged behind the national average of 66.10 per cent.

Joshi called for intensive micro-level SVEEP (Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation) activities, informed by previous election insights, to further improve turnout.

Following the review meeting, Joshi visited Polling Station No. 207 at Primary School Inarwa, Sikta Assembly Constituency, where he spoke directly with the polling officer and reviewed preparations on-site.

–IANS

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