District admn all geared up for counting today
Aman Sood
Patiala, June 3
The results of the General Election are set to be declared on Tuesday, and the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes at various centres. Following the guidelines of the Election Commission, adequate security arrangements have been made across the state for smooth counting on Tuesday.
The police said the EVMs have been stored in the strong rooms at five different locations across the district, adding that they are under CCTV surveillance and being guarded by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel.
A three-tier security system has been put in place at each of the strong rooms where the EVMs have been stored and at the counting venues across the state. Hundreds of cops, including CAPF personnel, are guarding the strong rooms and counting centres.
The counting of votes from Nabha would be done at Government ITI College, Nabha; Patiala urban and rural would be conducted at Government Mohindra College, Patiala; Sanaur votes would be counted at Government Girls College; and three different centres have been established at Punjabi University, Patiala, where votes from Rajpura, Dera Bassi, and Ghanaur would be counted and votes from Samana and Shutrana would be counted at Polo Ground.
The counting staff has been asked to report at 6.30 am and the counting process would start at 8 am. Police officials said a comprehensive three-tier security system has been implemented around the counting centres. They added that access to the counting centres has been strictly restricted, with only accredited individuals allowed entry. The counting centres are equipped with CCTV cameras for extensive monitoring. Additionally, quick response teams are in place to manage any incidents promptly, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said an adequate police force would be deployed in and around the city and at the counting centres. “It is going to be a long day. We will ensure that law and order are maintained after the results are out,” he said.