Counting process should not halt at any cost: DEO Pravin Kumar

Tirupati: Collector and District Election Officer Pravin Kumar said that counting of votes for the seven Assembly and one Parliamentary constituency in the district has to begin at 8 am on June 4 and it should not stop for any reason till the completion. It should be ensured that all results must be declared before 4 pm on that day.

He inspected the model counting centre set up at the Collectorate on Monday where the returning officers (ROs) and AROs were given hands-on training and cleared their doubts. Speaking on the occasion, he said that every officer should have complete understanding of the whole process of counting and doubts if any should get clarified well in advance.

The counting of votes will take place at School of Engineering and Technology of Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV), where ROs should monitor all the required arrangements. There should be videography at every counting centre and CC cameras are to be installed. ROs should also ensure provision of the required computers, internet facility with proper bandwidth, power supply, tables and chairs among other things.

Vehicles will not be allowed into SPMVV campus and for the sake of the staff drafted for counting duty, a bus will be arranged from the main gate to the counting centre. As part of security measures, barricading has been provided at the centre. ROs have to check EVMs before the beginning of the counting itself. They should also provide drinking water and lunch facilities for the staff. Joint Collector HM Dhayana Chandra, municipal corporation Commissioner Aditi Singh, DRO Penchala Kishore, EVM nodal officer Kodandarami Reddy, ROs Nishanth Reddy, Ravisankar Reddy, Chandramuni, Kiran Kumar and others took part in the programme.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the election results should be announced with accuracy and without any delay. In a video conference held with the district election officers, ROs and other officers, he asked them to be on alert at the counting centres and should not allow anyone without a valid pass. Bringing of EVMs in proper order and taking them back after counting duly marking on them has to be followed in a systematic manner. The CEC told the officials not to move the EVMs unnecessarily.

Election Commissioners Gnanesh Kumar, Dr Sukhbir Singh, Tirupati district election officer Pravin Kumar, DRO Penchala Kishore and others were present.