Elaborate security in place in Karnal: DC

Parveen Arora

Karnal, May 26

The Karnal administration has made elaborate security arrangements inside and outside SD Senior Secondary School and DAV Senior Secondary School, where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used for the five Assembly segments of the Karnal Lok Sabha and the Karnal Assembly byelections have been kept in strongrooms along with relevant documents following the voting process on Saturday.

“We have made high security arrangements inside and outside both strongrooms. There is a three-tier security arrangement for the EVMs,” said Uttam Singh, DC-cum-District Election Commission.

He said counting would be conducted on June 4. All arrangements for the counting had been made. The EVMs of Assandh, Nilokheri, Gharaunda and the Indri Assembly segments had been kept at SD Senior Secondary School, while the EVMs of the Karnal Assembly segment for the Lok Sabha and of Karnal Assembly byelections had been kept at DAV school, he added.

The DC said Returning Officers (ROs) and AROs had reviewed the strongrooms and security arrangements. The strong rooms were under CCTV surveillance and uninterrupted power supply to the premises had also been ensured. The candidates could also visit and see the EVMs via the control room. The strongrooms were being guarded round the clock by the security personnel. Under the three-tier security arrangements, first layer was of paramilitary forces, while the second was of the Haryana armed forces and third of the Haryana Police, the DC said.

He said that scrutiny of documents, including 17A and others, was done in the presence of the observer, candidates and election agents and representatives of the political parties.