Evms: Assam CEO announces GPS tracking for EVM vehicles in Lok Sabha elections | Guwahati News

GUWAHATI: GPS tracking devices will be installed in all vehicles with EVMs in the state for the Lok Sabha elections, Assam chief electoral officer Anurag Goel said here on Sunday, adding that deployment of security personnel for the polls has begun.

“All vehicles transporting (to polling stations) or returning (to strongrooms) EVMs will have in-built GPS devices. In Assam, 15,000 to 18,000 vehicles will have GPS,” Goel said during a press conference.

He said the movement of such vehicles would be constantly monitored.

“There will be a control room in the CEO’s office and in every DEO office from where the movement of vehicles will be monitored. If a vehicle with EVMs deviates from the intended path, an alert will be generated immediately,” Goel said.

He said shifting of spare EVM machines was in full swing in the districts in case of any failure at the time of commissioning.

Goel said 55% (more than 15,000) of polling stations in the state had webcasting facilities, while less than five percent were classified as critical or vulnerable.

The CEO said surveillance teams, including officials from departments such as Income Tax, Narcotics and ED, have started keeping vigil in the districts.

Expand

Sixty companies of central security forces have already been deployed in the state and more will be deployed if required, officials said.

According to the final electoral roll released in Assam on February 8, Assam has over 2.43 crore (2,43,01,960) voters, including 1,21,79,358 men and 1,21,22,188 women. There are 414 transgender voters. The process of adding new names and changes to the voters' list is still ongoing and will continue until the final nomination date.

Goel said there will be 28,650 polling stations in the state, including five additional polling stations.

Assam has 4,854 voters who are above 100 years old.

There will be 262 model polling stations while 1,409 polling stations will be managed exclusively by women officials. At least one polling booth in each assembly section will be managed by people with disabilities, the officials said.

The 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be voted on in three phases – on April 19, 26 and May 7. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4th.

Lok Sabha polls: The buildings of eight polling stations in the Sahnewal and Ludhiana central assembly segments have been changed

LUDHIANA district administration is changing polling stations for Lok Sabha polls in Huhnwal and Ludhiana Central Assembly constituencies. The focus is on free, fair elections with support from political parties for voter participation.