A total of 19 out of 590 Government officials who have been assigned the task of counting votes for Tehri and Haridwar lok Sabha seats were found absent from the first phase of training programme, which was organised to train the officials about how to count votes of the Electronic Voting Machines, held at the ONGC auditorium here in Dehradun on Saturday. These officials were served show-cause notice for not attending the training programme.
The in-charge officer (personnel) and Additional DM Pratap Shah said that 201 officials have been appointed as micro observers while 190 officials as counting supervisors and 190 as counting assistants. In a bid to conduct counting of votes for the lok Sabha election transparently, the training programme about how to count votes in EVMs was organised for the officials, who were assigned the task of counting votes polled in all the 10 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in Dehradun for Tehri and Haridwar lok Sabha seats. The counting is to be held at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur on May 16.
He further said that out of 210 micro observers, 15 were relieved from this job on medical ground. Out of 195 micro observers, six were found absent in the training programme. Three out of 190 counting supervisors were found absent. Ten out of 190 counting assistants were also found absent. These officials were served show-cause notice for not attending the training programme and they were directed to reply to the department within 24 hours. Action will be taken against those employees.
Master-trainer and District Panchayat Raj officer MM Khan said that all the officials deputed on counting votes were trained about the procedure to be taken care during counting and they were told to reach at counting venue at 6.30 am at Sports College, Raipur on said date. They should reach at the counting table at 7.30 am so that the process for counting votes should begin on time.
In the beginning counting of postal ballots will be taken up. The employees were directed to check whether postal ballots are correct before they begin counting it. The employees were directed to check the seals of the EVMs and its number before opening it. During training programme, Khan informed the employees about how to open the EVMs and the procedure for counting votes in detail. Postal ballot assistant returning officer Manmohan Singh Rawat informed the employees about the postal ballots in detail.