NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday said that it has implemented 17 new initiatives to conduct the upcoming Bihar assembly election in a smoother manner. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that these initiatives will be incorporated across India in the upcoming elections.At a press conference in Patna, Gyanesh Kumar said, “Seventeen new initiatives have been successfully implemented in Bihar; some will be implemented in the conduct of elections, and some in counting.”

“Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for preparing the voter list. In Bihar, there is an ERO in each of the 243 assembly constituencies. Together, they, along with 243 EROs and 90,207 BLOs, completed the task of cleansing the voter list after nearly 22 years,” he added. Under the new initiatives, the CEC said that over 7,000 BLOs and BLO supervisors from across India, including Bihar, were trained at IIIDEM, New Delhi. The CEC also said that remuneration for BLOs, BLO supervisors, polling/counting staff, CAPF, monitoring teams, and micro-observers has been doubled. He added that honorarium has been provided for EROs and AEROs for the first time. Provision for refreshments has also been enhanced. The poll body has also decided that counters will be introduced just outside polling stations for depositing mobile phones by voters. The CEC said the Election Commission will ensure reduced crowding, shorter queues, and additional booths in high-rise residential complexes and societies. He also said that booths by the candidates on poll day for issuing unofficial identity slips to electors can be set up just beyond 100 meters of any polling station. The CEC said that the EC has revised guidelines to make EVM ballot papers more readable, and EVMs will have colour photographs of candidates for the first time. “Hundred percent webcasting will be carried out in every booth during the Bihar polls,” he added.