Training begins for 217 BLOs from West Bengal; orientation for Media Officers also concludes in Delhi

A major two-day training programme for election staff from West Bengal started today at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi. The programme includes training for 217 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), 12 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and 2 District Election Officers (DEOs).

This training is part of a larger plan by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to improve the skills and knowledge of election workers at the ground level. The idea was discussed earlier during the Chief Electoral Officers' (CEO) Conference held at IIIDEM on March 4. The Commission believes that proper training for field-level officers is very important to ensure smooth, fair, and transparent elections.

At the same time, a one-day Orientation Programme was also held at IIIDEM today. This programme was meant for Media Nodal Officers, Social Media Nodal Officers, and District Public Relations Officers from different states and Union Territories. It focused on how to improve communication during elections and how to deal with challenges in today’s fast-changing media environment.

Officials from 28 states and 8 Union Territories took part in the session. The team from Sikkim included Ms. Pema Lhaden Lama, Additional CEO (Election); Ms. Sonam Chhuki Yonzon, Deputy Secretary (Election); and Mr. Raj K Sharma, District Information Officer from Mangan, IPR Department.

This orientation programme was designed to help media officials do their work better during elections. It aimed to make sure that voters receive correct and timely information. It also focused on how to stop the spread of fake news and how to encourage more voter participation through media and social media platforms.

The training followed the rules mentioned in the Representation of the People Act of 1950 and 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960, and the Conduct of Elections Rules of 1961. The Election Commission also gave additional instructions for better coordination.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Shri Gyanesh Kumar spoke at the event. In his address, he said that the media plays a very important role in elections. He highlighted that media officers must always share facts and avoid delays in sharing updates. He added that sharing truthful and timely information helps to build public trust in elections.

He also said that in today’s world where information travels very fast, it is very important that voters know what is true and what is not. He asked all media officers to be active and alert so that voters are not misled by false or biased messages.