Chandigarh, Nov. 11 -- In view of the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections, the first-level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines will commence across the state from Thursday.

Punjab chief electoral officer Anindita Mitra said the FLC of EVMs and VVPATs was an essential process prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that only fully functional and election-ready machines are used during the elections. She said as per the ECI guidelines, the check of EVMs and VVPAT machines is conducted under the supervision of the district election officer by authorised engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

"Only those EVMs and VVPATs which successfull...