Functioning of EVM being demonstrated to polling officials in Cuddalore on Sunday.
CUDDALORE:
As many as 9,458 polling officials in Cuddalore district, selected on a random basis from computerised data, began getting their hands-on experience on the Electronic Voting Machines and SMS messaging for the technology-driven Assembly elections.
Addressing the officials, P.Seetharaman, District Collector and District Election Officer, said that unlike the previous elections a lot of technological innovations had been introduced for the coming Assembly elections. The primary among these would be webcasting of voting process (as in-built web cameras in laptops would capture images within the sensitive polling stations) and SMS communication.
The SIM cards obtained from the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., exclusively meant for the election, would be given to polling officials, the Central Para Military Forces and the election observers on April 3, with a validity period of 10 days. Mr. Seetharaman said that a preliminary test would be conducted to determine the load-carrying capacity of the BSNL micro-towers, so as to rectify any shortcoming to carry on communication on the polling day without any hiccup.
Wherever there was inadequacy in the tower capacity, 10-digit phone numbers would be given for communication. Mr. Seetharaman also said that a communication plan would be put in place in which the contact numbers of all zonal officers, returning officers, assistant returning officers and the district electoral officers would be provided at the polling stations.
Neighbourhood
Cell phone numbers of people residing in the vicinity of every polling station would be obtained and sent to the Election Commission. This was meant to ensure that even if there was a gap in communication from the presiding officer concerned, the status report could be obtained from the neighbours. The Collector said that he had taken the initiative to keep ready a mobile medical team for every block to attend to any health problem of voters and a mobile technical team to set right any glitches in the EVMs.
Women police personnel and Anganwadi workers would be available at the polling stations to take care of the personal needs of the women polling officials, he said. The Election Commission had given 10 instructions to be followed by the officials on poll duty, including a vow to conduct the election in an effective, unified and neutral manner, accord priority to election work over personal commitments, ensure free and fair election, act with team spirit, guide the voters and contribute their best for upholding democracy.
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