Elaborate arrangements put in place for counting of votes for Udhampur PC

KATHUA, MAY 30: The election authorities have put in place adequate arrangements for counting of votes for the 4-Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency. There are 12 candidates in fray for the Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency.

The counting will be held at Government Degree College Kathua, secured with multi-tier security and round-the-clock CCTV surveillance to ensure a free and fair election process.

Votes from all 18 assembly segments, including Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar, will be counted in dedicated halls assigned to each Assembly Constituency. Additionally, three halls have been designated for the counting of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) votes.

A total of 225 tables have been set up for the counting process, with three personnel assigned to each table. For ETPBS votes, 60 tables have been designated, also with three persons per table.

Nearly 10,000 staff members will be involved in the counting process, including the transfer of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from the Strong Room to the counting halls. Each table will be supervised by a counting agent, a micro observer, and a supervisor, along with each Assistant Returning Officer (ARO).

CCTV surveillance of the EVM Strong Rooms has been shared with political party representatives since the safe deposit of EVMs after polling.

A Counting Control Room has been equipped with the necessary logistics to compile and update hourly trends throughout the day. The entire process will be executed and monitored under the supervision of Dr. Rakesh Minhas, Returning Officer for the 4-Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency, who is also the District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Kathua.

A fully functional and well-equipped Election Media Centre has been established to facilitate media personnel. The centre features LED screens with DTH connections for continuous news access and WiFi to ensure internet connectivity. Provisions for displaying hourly trends have been made to keep everyone updated with the latest results.

Media personnel will have controlled access to the counting process as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines.

Meanwhile, the training of all stakeholders to be involved in Counting in votes has been successfully completed on Thursday.

Returning Officer Dr Rakesh Minhas said that adequate logistics and security arrangements have been made to undertake the Counting of Votes for Parliamentary Constituency. “Besides catering to the necessary human resource and other logistics Food, water, and refreshments will be provided to all individuals involved in the counting process on June 4, ensuring their well-being throughout the day” he added.