Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Puneet Agarwal visits the strong room in Umakanta Academy

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 23, 2024

In order to ensure a smooth and trouble-free counting of ballots for the West Tripura Loksabha seat on June 4, the chief electoral officer Puneet Agarwal yesterday visited the Umakanta Academy where the strong room for preservation of EVMs containing votes for candidates have been set up, as always. During his visit yesterday in the afternoon to see the arrangements made in the strong rooms and the counting centres Agarwal was accompanied by the returning officer of West Tripura seat and DM (West) Dr Vishal Kumar.

While interacting with the media at the end of his visit the CEO Puneet Agarwal said that counting of votes for the state’s two Loksabha seats will be taken up and concluded on June 4 in altogether twenty counting centres. “We have taken all steps to preserve peace and maintain law and order in all twenty counting centres in the interest of smooth and peaceful counting ; there will be three-tier security arrangements , CCTV coverage and fire tending systems in all counting centres; we have also put in place arrangements for uninterrupted power supply in the counting centres” said Agarwal.

He stated that along with administrative officials representatives of political parties have also visited the counting centres to see and take stock of the arrangements made in the strong rooms. No complaint regarding setting up of and arrangements made for the strong rooms has been received. He described the arrangements made in the strong rooms as foolproof and predicted a peaceful and smooth counting process on June 4. Puneet Agarwal is also likely to visit Dhalai district whose DM is the returning officer of the East Tripura Loksabha seat and where there is another big strong room.