Odisha SEC Gives Direction For Safe-Keeping Of EVMs

Bhubaneswar, Mar 6: Odisha State Election Commission on Sunday directed all Elections Officers to strictly follow the Standard Operating Procure issued by the Commission for the safekeeping of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and counting materials in the strong room after the election to civic bodies.

As per the guidelines, every civic body would have to set up three strong rooms for keeping the EVMs safely. While one strong room would be installed for keeping the EVMs used for electing the Notified Area Councils (NAC)/ Municipality councillors and President another would be for keeping the EVMs used for electing Corporators and Mayors.

Unused and damaged EVMs would be kept in another strong room. Elections to three Corporations, 47 Municipalties and 59 NACs is scheduled to be held on March 24. The vote count is on March 26. Armed Police would be deployed to provide 24-hour security to the strong rooms. CCTV and digitised recorder will be installed to maintain a vigil on the strong room right from the day of the commissioning of the EVMs till the day of counting, SEC sources said.