CURATED BY – GAURAV SINGHAL | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Saharanpur, District Magistrate and District Election Officer Dr. Dinesh Chandra, while talking to media personnel about counting of votes, said that all arrangements have been completed for the counting of votes on June 4. Counting of votes will start at 8 am in the Central Warehouse premises. Counting of votes of Lok Sabha constituencies will be assembly wise. 14-14 tables will be set up for counting of votes of each assembly constituency. Out of the seven assembly seats of the district, five are included in Saharanpur Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in Kairana Lok Sabha seat.

On the date of counting of votes, 04 June, adequate arrangements of tents etc. have been made for shade at the counting place. It is expected that representatives of political parties, counting personnel, media personnel should use light cotton clothes and keep umbrella and white cotton towel or any other cloth to cover the head. Wear comfortable shoes or slippers on the feet. Dr. Dinesh Chandra said that adequate arrangements of drinking cold water will be made at the counting place. Arrangements have also been made for jaggery, glucose etc. There. To avoid the scorching sun, use caps, hats, sunglasses, umbrellas etc. Do not consume too much tea, coffee or carbonated soft drinks, as these can reduce the amount of water in the body. Food courts etc. have been arranged to provide fresh food and snacks at the counting venue. Adequate quantity of cold drinking water, glucose and jaggery along with ORS packets have been made available at the counting venue. A medical camp has been set up at the counting venue where a doctor will be available and adequate medicines and paramedical staff will be available. An ambulance with the facility of oxygen cylinders will be available at the counting centre. Apart from this, the health services of the district have been alerted. The District Election Officer said that better arrangements have been made for the journalists at the media centre built at the counting venue. Information will also be communicated on time. Journalists will be taken on a tour in groups of 5 persons each from the media centre, but their mobile phones will be deposited during the tour. Dr. Dinesh Chandra said that counting agents can only take diary and pen inside the counting hall. Arrangement of cold water for them will be outside the hall. Mobile phones, iPads, laptops, electronic devices, matchboxes and weapons etc. will not be allowed in the counting hall. The District Election Officer said that the entire process of counting will be completed in a safe, transparent and fair manner as per the guidelines given by the Election Commission of India. All the officers have been instructed to work under the guidelines of the Commission on all points related to barricading, water, food, security arrangements, entry gate, parking, table checking inside the counting place. The DM said that the use of mobile and electronic gadgets will be completely prohibited at the counting place. Voting for the seven assembly seats of the district was completed in the first phase on 19 April. Counting of votes will be done at the Central Warehouse located on Janata Road from 8 am. Counting of votes will be done in 29 rounds for Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituencies Behat, 33 rounds for Saharanpur Nagar, 28 rounds for Saharanpur, 27 rounds for Deoband and 24 rounds for Rampur Maniharan. Similarly, counting of votes will be done in 28 rounds for Nakur and 29 rounds for Gangoh for Kairana partial Lok Sabha constituency.
Dr Dinesh Chandra said that 14+1 = 15 tables will be set up for counting of votes at the counting centre. In which one table will be for assistant returning officer and 14 tables will be for counting. 10 tables will be set up for counting of postal ballot papers. One agent will be appointed on each table. For counting of votes, 01 counting supervisor, 01 counting assistant, 01 micro observer and 01 fourth class employee will be appointed on one table. First of all, the ballot papers received by post will be counted. For counting of postal ballot papers, separate counting supervisor and counting assistant will be appointed. As per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, matching of slips of VVPAT machines of 05 polling stations of each Vidhan Sabha will be done on the basis of randomly selected lottery by the concerned ARO in the presence of candidates, election agents and general observer. The pass issued to the counting agent will be non-transferable and the counting agent will not be allowed to go from one hall to another and the counting agent will not go from his designated table to another table. Only pass holders and persons authorized by the Commission will be allowed entry into the counting centre. He said that after declaration of the counting result, there is a complete ban on taking out processions etc. by the winning candidate.