Strongrooms become citadels
Sanjay Yadav
Gurugram, June 3
A three-layer security cordon has been put in place in Gurugram for the strongrooms where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are protected for the counting of the votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections.
Surveillance cameras have been installed and paramilitary forces have been deployed to keep a constant watch on strongrooms. Besides, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed within a radius of 200 metres of the counting centre, under which the gathering of more than five persons is banned.
A senior police officer said under the three-layer security, the Gurugram police are deployed on the outer side of the counting centres, personnel of the state armed police force have been deployed the second layer and in the last layer, paramilitary force has been deployed.
“There will be tight security arrangements inside and outside the counting centre. Public will not be allowed inside the centre. Police checkpoints have been set up and about 1,000 security personnel will be deployed around the counting centres. No person will be allowed to take mobile phones, electronic items, knives, blades etc. inside the counting centres. Vehicles of the agents will be parked outside the college and they should bear red sticker pass,” said Police Commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora.
On Monday, DC Nishant Kumar Yadav and Police Commissioner Arora inspected all seven counting centres set up on the college campus and reviewed the counting arrangements.
The DC said all preparations for counting of votes have been completed and the process will begin at 8 am on Tuesday. He said two counting centres each have been set up for Gurugram and Badshahpur Assembly constituencies and one each for Sohna and Pataudi. One counting centre is for counting postal ballots.
“About 700 employees have been deployed for the counting of votes. The locks of EVM strongrooms will be opened at 6 am on Tuesday. All postal ballots will be counted first and EVM counting will begin after that,” said the DC.
