DIBRUGARH, May 21 - The training for the counting of votes of just concluded Dibrugarh Lok Sabha polls here for all the Assistant Returning Officers, Assisting Officers, Hall in Charges, Micro Observers, Transit Officers, Sealing Officers, Counting Supervisors, Counting Assistants, Tabulators, Compilation Staffs have been completed in two phases and the district administration here is set for the counting exercise on May 23, Deputy Commissioner Pallab Gopal Jha informed newsmen here today.
The strong room of all the assembly constituencies located at Government Boys High School will be opened at 7 am and the counting will commence from 8 am. All the contesting candidates, election agents, their representatives have been asked to be present during the opening of the strong room.
Our Staff Correspondent adds from Silchar: Along with the rest of the country, the Cachar district administration has geared up for the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections on May 23.
Deputy Commissioner Laya Madduri told The Assam Tribune that for the first time, micro observers will be supervising the counting and tabulation of votes. �We have seven counting halls with 14 tables. There will be around 300 people for counting of votes who have been sufficiently trained. To maintain absolute transparency, Micro observers from Central Government departments will keep a close vigil on the counting and tabulation of votes in each table and send reports to the Observer,� she maintained.
Meanwhile Cachar SP Mughdhajyoti Dev Mahanta has ensured that the counting of votes at the NATRIP station at Japhirband here will take place under tight security arrangements.
Our Mangaldai Correspondent adds: Returning Officer for No. 8 Mangaldoi HPC and the Deputy Commissioner of Darrang, Ghanshyam Dass has assured the public that a free and fair counting process will be followed in the counting process. He was addressing the media at his office conference hall here on Tuesday. Dass informed that counting will be done in Mangaldai college campus for four assembly segments under Mangaldai (Darrang) Election District. The counting will begin from 8 am first with the postal ballots followed by the EVMs and then the VVPAT slips. Even though the counting of votes in the EVMs is expected to be complete by 3 pm, five more hours will be required for counting of the 20 randomly selected VVPAT machines, five each from one assembly constituency. Dass also mentioned about the three-layered security arrangements inside the counting centre of Mangaldai College and restrictions of taking mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices barring in some special cases under the ECI instructions.
Our Kokrajhar Correspondent adds: The Kokrajhar district administration has completed all necessary arrangements for peaceful counting of votes on Thursday, informed Partha Pratim Mazumdar, Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar district, who is also the Returning Officer for Kokrajhar HPC.
Talking to this correspondent, Mazumdar said that the district administration has stepped up tight security measures in entire district to prevent any kind of untoward incident before and after counting of votes. In a meeting with the candidates in the fray from Kokrajhar HPC and their agents, Mazumdar requested the leaders to persuade their workers, supporters and followers to accept the result of elections gracefully and respect the will of the people.
A Correspondent adds from Nagaoon: The authority concerned of the Nagaon Election District has completed all preparations to conduct the counting of votes of Lok Sabha election for Kaliabor and Nowgong LS seats to be held on May 23.
Deputy Commissioner of the district and Returning officer, Jadav Saikia, addressing a press conference stated that votes will be counted on a total of 70 tables at two counting centres set up at Nagaon Dawson Higher Secondary and Multi-Purpose School and Nagaon Government Girls� High School for Nowgong and Kaliabor LS seats respectively. Referring to the security arrangements, he said that there will be three-tier security layer covering 100 metres which will be declared as a no vehicle zone. Similarly, within the zone or the security circle, entry with any kind of cell phone and camera will be prohibited as per the directives of the Election Commission.
ANN Service reports from Nilambazar: The district administration of Karimganj has completed all arrangements for counting of votes for the Karimganj LS constituency scheduled on May 23.
Addressing a press conference recently, Karimganj Deputy Commissioner MS Manivannam informed that five counting halls with twelve tables in each M L A constituency and for the North and South Karimganj constituencies, 14 tables have been arranged for the smooth counting of votes polled through EVMs.
Our Tezpur Correspondent adds: Anticipating breach of peace and tranquility, to prevent any untoward incident and in order to ensure smooth and peaceful counting of votes of Parliamentary Elections 2019 on May 23, the District Magistrate, Sonitpur has prohibited the gathering of people and parking of vehicles within a radius of 100 metres of the counting centre set up at Darrang College, Tezpur and also parking of vehicles on the route from Dhanua Nagar Petrol Pump attached road and to Tezpur Police Station via Madhab Dham-Civil Hospital Chariali; entry of any person into the counting venue without valid Identity Card (issued from the ID Card Cell for Counting Day); carrying of sharp weapons, sticks or any other objects that may be used as a weapon by any person in public gathering or in victory processions; setting up of temporary food stalls and any other temporary shops within the radius of 100 meters from the counting centre; use/ bursting of all types of sound emitting fire crackers.
Our Hailakandi Correspondent adds: The district administration of Hailakandi has asked all the political parties to main discipline and decorum during the counting of votes on May 23.
In a meeting with the representatives of all political parties at the Deputy Commissioner's conference hall here on Monday, District Election Officer -cum-Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli asked the political parties and their counting agents to follow the guidelines of the Election Commission in letter and spirit and to cooperate with the administration in conducting the counting smoothly and peacefully.
Counting of votes will take place from 7 am at the Government VM Higher Secondary School here on Thursday. Security has been beefed in and around the counting campus.
