Nawanshahr, 14 November (Jatinder Pal Singh Kaler):- Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Gulpreeet Singh Aulakh, said that the First-Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines in the district began on 12 November 2026 as part of preparations for the upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections-2027, in accordance with the directions of the Election Commission of India.
He said that the checking is being carried out at the district-level EVM warehouse located at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhawan, Gujjarpur Kalan, by authorised engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), under the supervision of district election officials. The main objective of this process is to ensure the proper functioning and reliability of the machines to be used during the elections, so that the polls can be conducted in a fair, transparent and orderly manner.
The Deputy Commissioner said that, as per the directions of the Election Commission of India, the participation of representatives of recognised political parties is also being ensured in this checking process. Accordingly, party representatives are being given the opportunity to remain present during the inspection and observe the entire process.
He appealed to all recognised political parties to send their authorised representatives daily to participate in the FLC process. He said that the active participation of political parties would further strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in the electoral process. The district administration is making all necessary arrangements in accordance with the directions of the Election Commission.
