With the deployment of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force at ITI, Doiwala, the counting venue of Doiwala Assembly bypoll, security has been beefed up in the campus. Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawans and Uttarakhand police have been deputed outside the ITI campus to strengthen the security at the counting venue. The counting of votes polled for assembly bypoll will be held here on Friday.
When this correspondent visited the ITI Doiwala to observe the security at the counting venue, initially, ITBP personnel who were deputed at the gate did not allow access to the monitoring room where a television has been placed to monitor the stream from CCTV cameras installed outside the strong room. However, later with the permission of returning officer, this correspondent was allowed to visit the monitoring room to observe the security arrangements at the strong room through the CCTV footage. ITBP inspector Brijmani Avasthi said that to protect the Electronic Voting Machines stored in the strong room, tight security has been ensured with the
deployment of 40 ITBP personnel and installation of three CCTV cameras. One official observer had earlier visited the counting venue to inspection the arrangements on Wednesday.
Another election official said that the agents of any political party who are having entry card have not approached for visiting the monitoring room so far. The employees who were deployed to set up 14 tables for counting of the votes were witnessed giving final shape to the arrangement. ITBP personnel did not allow this correspondent access to this area.
The returning officer PC Dumka said that tight security arrangements have been made at the counting venue and persons having valid entry card are allowed to oversee the security at strong room through CCTV footage on the television screen installed at the monitoring room. All the EVMs used for polling on July 21 were stored in the strong room at ITI campus, Doiwala. A total of 14 tables have been installed and vote counting will be completed in 11 rounds.
Any political party can depute its agent to oversee the strong room on television in the monitoring room. The courting of polled votes will begin from 8 am on July 25. A total of 150 government officials have been deputed on counting duty as counting micro observer, counting observer and counting assistant. They have been given training at the Town Hall in Dehradun, he added.