Karwar: Returning Officer/Deputy Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar K passed an order on Tuesday, May 21, strictly prohibiting mobile phones within the Dr V V Baliga College premises marked for Lok Sabha vote counting.
He passed this order during an all political party meeting in the DC’s office.
Harish Kumar said, “There will be no confusions created at the vote counting centre and as per the Election Commission guidelines, no one will be allowed to carry mobile phones within the premises. All the agents of the political parties must take precautionary measures in this direction.”
“Prohibitory orders and tight security will be in place and nobody will be allowed within 200 meters of the counting booth. To enter the centre, the person concerned has to pass through a three-level security check. Police from other states have also been called in. As the security personnel may not be knowing the candidates, we have made it mandatory for the latter to wear their identity cards. Only candidates and their appointed agents will be allowed inside the counting booth”, he added.
Harish Kumar said, “The Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) is being given the responsibility of handing over the ID cards to the candidates and their party agents. They have to obtain their IDs after filling an application. As the counting process begins at 8 AM, the candidates along with their agents should be present in the counting booths, well before time.”
On announcing the results, he said, “We have received over 3000 postal ballots and also we need to check the VVPATs according to lots. Hence, it might take time and the results will be announced only after all these process are completed.”
“In order to make sure that the law and order in the district is maintained, prohibitory orders have already been clamped, keeping in mind that the district is communally sensitive. We request the political parties and their candidates to follow the rules, cooperate with officials and help in maintaining the law and order. It will be the duty of the party candidates to keep in control their party workers and avoid any untoward incidents”, he added.
