THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 21: Around 700 cops, including the CRPF, QRTs etc will be deployed in and around the counting venue for the November 23 counting of votes for the five assembly constituencies in Daltonganj, said SP Reeshma Ramesan.
Speaking to the Jharkhand Story correspondent, Reeshma Ramesan said, “There would be CRPF. Palamu police appeal to people to respect the public mandate in all humility, as any inane action will bring severe legal and penal consequences.”
Traffic and parking arrangements
The counting venue is invariably crowded where parking is a major issue.
The traffic plan and parking venue have been well chalked out.
The SP said observers’ cars, senior officials’ cars and senior security officials’ cars will be right inside the high-security zone while for the vehicles of the contestants and their polling agents, space has been identified.
Md Jawed Hussain, Nodal Officer of the Karmik Koushang informed, “We have earmarked vahan koshang field for the parking lot to the contestants and their polling agents etc.”
The counting venue has to be free of any look for any car bazaar as vehicles will be suitably and appropriately parked so as not to cause any inconvenience, reminded Jawed.
The SP said, “During the months ago held Lok Sabha counting of votes, it was summer and there was no pool of water around. But this Vidhan Sabha counting of votes there is a gorge having water there in the vicinity. We are trying to find out how to go about.”
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Media coverage and weather forecast
Media Centre is always wanting conveniences in such events where everyone wants media persons to be at an electrifying speed.
SP Reeshma Ramesan was asked if the media centre would be open, and she said “No. No. It’s in a room.”
Local weather report for Daltonganj on November 23, issued by the India Meteorological Department states a foggy winter in the morning but a clear sky later on. It further forecasts a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius. As per the forecast, the humidity will be 62 per cent while wind is expected to be 8kmph on November 23.
Counting assistants, supervisors and micro-observers may like to wear some sort of warmer for them during the counting hour.
Dry run and dress rehearsal on Nov 22
A full dry run and dress rehearsal will be held a day ahead of the counting of votes here at the multi-purpose exam hall of the GLA College Daltonganj on November 22.
Giving this information, the Nodal Officer of the training for poll personnel Shabbir Ahmad said, “the ECI has mandated to conduct dry run and dress rehearsal ahead of the actual counting of votes which is November 23. We will be having dry and dress rehearsal a day before that is November 22.”
Explaining dry run first Shabbir known by his first name said “It’s a test for public presentation’.
There are 96 tables and 96 rounds for the entire fleet of the five assembly constituencies of Palamu district. One round of dry rehearsal of each of the five assembly constituencies will be done.
Asked how it was to be done, Shabbir explained, “Counting assistant, counting supervisor and one micro observer will sit on a table.”
“Once it is over, the table officials will fill up Form 17 C part 2. All these exercises will be done to refresh their training so that on the day of the actual counting of votes which is November 23, none of them makes any mistake” reminded the Nodal Officer. Dress rehearsal has opportunities for ‘re do’ if an error or mistake has been made.
A counting team has full freedom before the actual counting of votes to go for redo till all doubts and chances of mistakes are not overcome.
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Counting personnel will know their AC on Nov 22
There will be eight tables per AC (assembly constituency) for the counting of the postal ballots and 12 tables per AC for the electronically transmitted ballot papers added Shabbir Ahmad.
Nodal Officer of the Karmik Koushang Md Jawed Hussain, an IAS officer of the 2018 batch said “Counting personnel will know about their AC on November 22.”
“It’s hours ahead of the counting of votes on November 23, that these counting officials will know which of the tables they are to sit in,” added Jawed Hussain.
“This is all under the instruction of the ECI. It is expressly for confidentiality,” the Nodal Officer reminded.
