EVMs under strict vigil
Wednesday, 01/02/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120201/punjab.htm#7
After conducting peaceful and fair polls, the State Election Commission is now confronted with the task of keeping the electronic voting machines (EVMs) safe for over a month till the time the mandate of the electorate recorded in these machines is declared on March 6.
As many as 19,841 EVMs that recorded the decision of the electors of choosing the next candidates in 117 assembly segments have been kept in 117 strong rooms in 56 buildings across the state.
Manned by three-tier-security comprising an inner cordon of central paramilitary forces, outer cordon of Punjab Armed Police personnel and patrol parties of the Punjab Police, these EVMs have been kept securely away from light so that the data stored in these machines does not get affected till the time the poll results are out.
About 2,000 paramilitary personnel man the EVMs in three shifts over all 117 strong rooms in the state. “Five personnel of central forces are deployed right outside the 117-strong rooms in three shifts of eight hours each.
The outer cordon is provided by the PAP personnel deployed at the gate of the building,” said a senior police official.
After the completion of voting process yesterday, the returning officers (ROs) of each constituency were entrusted with the task of storing the EVMs in strong rooms in each district.
The EVMs were transported in the trucks escorted by paramilitary and police personnel. In certain constituencies where the polling took place at a distance of several kilometres, the work of storing EVMs continued well past midnight. “Our ROs from distant constituencies like Khanna finished the task around 1 am,” said Ludhiana District Election Officer Rahul Tiwari.
The strong room of Khanna constituency is located in Ludhiana.
