Mr. Sonam Wongyal Lepcha, District Planning Officer Gangtok-cum-Nodal Officer for the Training Management Team, led the training alongside State Level Master Trainers Mr. Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia and Mr. Sunny Kharel. In his opening remarks, Mr. Lepcha outlined the training’s objectives, the roles and regulations for counting officials, and the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) guidelines. He also discussed the logistics for counting day, including timing and transportation.
Mr. Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia delivered a detailed presentation on the responsibilities of staff at the counting tables. His session covered the inspection and unsealing of Control Units (CUs), handling special CU-related cases, and the procedure for managing VVPAT slips. A live demonstration on filling out Form 17C- Part 2 and Annexure-A concerning VVPAT slips was conducted to ensure thorough understanding among trainees. Additionally, he explained the roles of Micro Observers and Additional Micro Observers.
Mr. Sunny Kharel emphasized practical aspects, advising officials to plan ahead for potential issues like traffic congestion, security checks, and meal timings to ensure punctuality. He underscored the importance of maintaining vote secrecy and neutrality, explained the layout of counting tables for EVM, Postal Ballot, and ETBP, and discussed the scrutiny and tabulation procedures for postal ballots. An interactive