Date:29/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/29/stories/2007062959601000.htm

Tamil Nadu

EC making arrangements for counting

Special Correspondent

Returning Officers are on the job of issuing photo identity cards to agents

— Photo: G. Moorthy

ALL SET: Madurai Collector D. Sundaramurthy (left) and Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar (second from left) discussing security arrangements at the counting centre in Madurai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: The Election Commission is making elaborate arrangements to ensure that the counting of votes for Madurai West Assembly Constituency passes off without incident on Friday.

It has taken into consideration the opinions and complaints received from various quarters, and, after an assessment, it has come up with a set of arrangements. On Thursday, Returning Officers (ROs) were on the job of issuing photo identity cards to counting agents with the seal and signature of the RO. Those agents holding photo identity card alone will be allowed in the counting halls.

Barricades will be provided for the counting table in such a way that the process of counting is transparent to the counting agents. Reasonable facilities will be provided to enable the counting agents to observe the counting process. The seating arrangements for the counting agents at the counting tables will be in the following order of priority: agents of recognised national parties, agents of recognised State parties, agents of registered unrecognised political parties and last, agents of Independent candidates.

Each counting agent should have a badge indicating the name of the party/candidate he is representing and the serial number of the table at which he will watch the counting.

He should be seated near the table earmarked and should not be allowed to move all over the hall. The candidates and their Election Agents will be free to go to any part of the hall.

To ensure a high level of transparency in the counting process, special arrangements have been made, Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said in a statement here. Additional counting assistants will be posted for each counting table.