Authorities in Rajouri and Poonch district on Friday reviewed the arrangements made for the counting of votes for the municipal committees of the twin border districts.
Addressing media men, the district election officer Rajouri, Mohammad Aijaz Asad said that as many as five counting halls and control room have been established in the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Rajouri for five municipal committees of Rajouri-Sunderbani, Rajouri, Kalakote, Thanamandi, and Nowshera.
The counting of votes shall begin on at 9 am in the morning.
“Besides a media gallery and a waiting hall has also been established for election agents and their candidates,” the DDC said.
While appreciating the returning officers and the assistant returning officers for the smooth and peaceful conduct of urban local body elections, the DDC asked them to ensure a smooth and transparent counting process.
DDC said district administration has put in place a viable mechanism to ensure that the counting process was conducted in most transparent manner. He said no laxity would be tolerated in security and other arrangements to ensure the smooth and fair conduct of counting of votes.
The district election officer Rajouri, Asad said that entire plan for security arrangements, deployment of staff, counting of votes and even the mechanism for declaration of results have been finalized and asked the officers to ensure to follow the plan so that counting could be done in most efficient and transparent way.
It was informed that mobile phones or other electronic gadgets are prohibited in the counting centers. No person without valid id proof is allowed to enter the premises of the counting centers.
It is also informed that only the RO/AROs, counting supervisors, observers and deployed officers or the officers having the authority letter duly attested by chief electoral officers are allowed to enter the counting rooms.
There is a separate entry and exit plan for candidates or their counting agents. In the same way, the DDC said the carrying of EVMs from strong room to the counting center would follow a specific route and would be escorted by the designated officers.
In order to smooth dissemination of information to the chief electoral officers, uploading on the website of the district election officer and to media person the DDC said special officers have been deployed in the regard.
Additional deputy commissioner Rajouri Sher Singh profoundly explained each and everything from filling up of forms to the declaration of results.
He said if there is any problem, either technical or the other, the RO/ARO can call the nodal officers or the BHEL engineers.
After the meeting, DDC also visited the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Rajouri, and inspected the counting centers as well as the media room.
SSP Rajouri Yougal Manhas, additional deputy commissioner Rajouri Sher Singh, additional deputy commissioner Nowshera, Sachin Dev Singh, ACR Rajouri, CEO, RDA, DPO, Abdul Khabir, all the district officers, tehsildars and the ROs/AROs attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, counting of votes for the two municipalities of Poonch, municipal council Poonch and municipal committee Surankote, shall be done at Government Girls Higher Secondary School Sheesh Mahaal.
“We have put in place tight security arrangements for counting,” an official of Poonch administration said.
It is important to mention here that voting for all seven municipalities of Rajouri and Poonch districts were held under first phase on October 8 and all the areas registered a high voter turnout. Thanamandi town recorded 90% polling.