Indore (Madhya Pradesh): For counting of votes cast in the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) elections held on July 6, training of over 1,000 officers and staff was held on Saturday. From SDMs, tehsildars to other officers and staff—all of them were given training in counting. Counting of the votes will be held at the Nehru Stadium on July 17.
Extensive preparations are underway for the counting of votes for elections to the urban bodies of the district. Counting of votes of all the eight municipal councils of the district, including Indore Municipal Corporation, will be held on July 17. The personnel engaged in the counting work and officers from SDM to naib tehsildar who will be conducting the counting of votes were given a one-day training at Holkar College on Saturday. In this training programme, they were explained the methods of counting of votes in a systematic manner. Along with this, they were informed about the rules and instructions of the State Election Commission.
About 1,000 counting personnel participated in the training programme, which took place simultaneously in 20 rooms of the college. Joint collector Pratul Sinha, Deputy District Election Officer Munish Singh Sikarwar, master trainer RK Pandey and officers-in-charge of training Anil Joshi and Kapil Bhalla were present on this occasion.
In the training programme, the counting personnel were given information regarding electronic voting machines and counting of votes of postal ballot papers. The training programme of the second phase of counting personnel will be organised at the Nehru Stadium counting venue. This training programme is proposed till July 16.
Mobile phone use during vote counting restricted
The State Election Commission has restricted the use of mobile phones by counting personnel at the counting venue, the Nehru Stadium.
The State Election Commission believes that the use of mobile phones during the counting of the general and by-elections to the urban bodies would hinder the counting of votes and violate the confidentiality of the counting work. Observers appointed by the State Election Commission for election supervision shall be free from the above restrictions so that they may remain in constant touch with the commission.
Official sources of the District Election Office said here on Saturday that, according to the instructions issued by the State Election Commission, the contesting candidates and their election agents would be screened while entering the counting place. If any candidate, or his election agent, or counting agent brings his mobile phone to the counting place, he/she will not be allowed to enter. In this regard, all the candidates of recognised political parties will also be informed in advance.
Arrangements have already been made to set up a telephone in a room near the counting place for contact with the State Election Commission by the District Election Officer and the officers concerned with the counting of votes, which will be used to contact the commission.
