EVMs get three-tier security

Security arrangements are foolproof, says officials

EVMs used for polling in the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency are kept in a strong room guarded by Central Industrial Security Force and police personnel at Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Higher primary school, Bondel, in Mangalore on Friday. Photo: R. Eswarraj

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) from all the eight Assembly segments of Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency have been brought from the demustering centres and kept in strong rooms at T.A. Pai English Medium School, the counting centre, on Friday.

Muddu Mohan, Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer for Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency, told The Hindu that the EVMs of each of the eight Assembly segments had been kept in separate strong rooms at the School. The strong rooms were locked and sealed in the presence of the polling agents of various political parties.

The Central Paramilitary Force and the district police would be keeping round-the-clock vigil. CCTV cameras had been installed at all vital locations in the school as part of the security arrangement.

The police officers sitting in the control room could see what was happening in every nook and corner of the building. The entire building is a prohibited area. “Nobody can enter the building,” Mr. Mohan said.

The police had put up barricades at all important points on the roads leading to the school. In order to check any untoward incident or accidental outbreak of fire, the power connection to all strong rooms had been cut off. “The seals of the strong rooms would be opened only on the day of counting of votes on May 16,” Mr. Mohan said.

Superintendent of Police M.B. Boralingaiah said that the security for the counting centre had been three layers. The inner cordon houses the strong rooms on the ground and first floor, which were being manned by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Security for the middle cordon was being supervised by the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP). The outer cordon was being manned by District Armed Reserve (DAR) Police and civil police along with a striking force.

As many as two Circle Police Inspectors, two Sub Inspectors, four Assistant Sub Inspectors, 24 head constables/police constables and a DAR striking force were providing security to the building round-the-clock. A generator facility, too, had been provided at the building.

“Since there is nearly a month for the counting of votes, we have taken all security and precautionary measures. Our security measures are foolproof,” Mr. Boralingaiah said.