Provide 3-tier security for counting centres, officials told

Vijayawada: The Election Commission (EC) has conducted a state level meeting here on Friday with Returning Officers and Election Observers of 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Parliament constituencies of the state on counting procedures. The Election Commission of India director Nikhil Kumar, AP Chief Electoral Officer Gopala Krishna Dwivedi and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sujatha Sharma were present at the meeting.

On this occasion, EC director Nikhil Kumar directed the officials to provide three-tier security to counting centres. He instructed the officials to avoid any kind of controversies in the process of announcement of election result. He asked the officials to segregate VV PAT slips first and make it 25 slips as bundle in each candidate wise.

He strictly instructed them to announce the results after completion of the counting process totally. He said that the officials should be kept in mind that no rewards would be given even if they announce the result in advance without completing the procedure.

The officials have responsibility to provide confidence among the contestants by doing their duties in transparent mode, he said. Election Commission of India IT director VN Shukla explained the Electronic Transmitted Postal Ballot System. He asked the officials to make ready computers first for counting system.

He suggested them to use only internet with wire system but not to use wify system. The Observers could carry the cell phones in to counting halls he said and added that Returning Officers and Assistant Returning officers would not be allowed with cell phones. He asked the Returning Officers should work independently instead of depending on Assistant Returning Officers.

AP Chief Electoral Officer Gopalakrishna Dwivedi said that the officials should utilise the programme and clarify the doubts. He asked them to conduct the counting process as per the guidelines of Election Commission without giving chance to any kind of interruption. On this occasion, they displayed the model counting centre.

Krishna District Collector MD Imtiaz, Nellore District Collector Mutyala Raju, Election Commission official Madhusudhan Gupta and other officials were also present.