LS polls: DEOs asked to install additional CCTVs to step under surveillance of strong rooms in counting centres

CHENNAI: Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu Satybrata Sahoo insisted the District Electoral Officers (DEOs) and Returning Officers (ROs) to install additional CCTV cameras in front of the sealed door of each strong room having the polled electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the counting centres in the state.

Chairing a meeting through video conference from Secretariat on Thursday, Sahoo reviewed the security arrangements in all the 39 counting centres and installations of CCTV cameras, covering the premises of the counting centres and the strong rooms as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) instruction.

"Apart from the existing CCTVs cameras under general surveillance of the counting centre, an additional CCTV camera should be installed in front of each strong room, " Sahoo said in a statement.

Instructions have been issued to the DEOs to coordinate with TANGEDCO and the Public Works Department to ensure uninterrupted power supply for CCTV arrangements in the counting centres.

The DEOs have also been instructed to ensure availability of diesel generator with automatic change over provision in case of power failure, UPS backup for strong room CCTV cameras to ensure seamless switching for that gap when power cuts off and diesel generator is turned on, stabilisers for CCTV installation to avoid voltage fluctuations in power supply have been reviewed, he added.

DEOs have also been instructed to install surge protectors and lightning arresters to avoid freezing of live feed due to lightning. The direction has been issued in the wake of such an incident in Villupuram Parliamentary constituency counting centre.

Sahoo further said that the candidates or their representatives based request can accompany the DEO, RO or ARO to the inner perimeter, in batches, to see and verify the security of the strong room.