The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : SCB poll: counting on May 19

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SCB poll: counting on May 19

Special Correspondent

Authorities complete printing of ballot papers, bundling
Expenditure for the entire process around Rs. 23 lakh

HYDERABAD: The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) which will going to polls on Sunday (May 18) has advanced counting of votes by a day i.e on May 19. Earlier, it had announced that the counting of votes polled for the eight civilian wards will be taken up on May 20.

Change in the election schedule was necessitated because as per the Cantonment election rules, counting of the votes have to be taken up a day after the polling. With the Election Commission (EC) refusing to lend any Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), authorities have already completed printing of the ballot papers and even bundling them.

Yet, they were also startled to realise that the EVMs were used for polls to Delhi Cantonment and a couple of other places! On a more positive note, the expenditure budget for the entire process is likely to be around Rs. 23 lakh whereas if the EVMs were to be pressed into service it would have cost as much for renting them alone. Each EVM could have cost up to Rs. 500 per piece for a day’s usage.

There are 181 polling stations in the eight wards and a slight change in the preparations was made on Wednesday. The polling stations of 32, 42, 43 and 44 which were supposed to set up in the Kasturba Public School in Ward number two have been shifted to Government High School at Gun Bazar.

Route maps for the polling stations have been prepared and the same have been passed on to the police for taking necessary steps from the security point of view. The SCB Chief Executive Officer, V. Premchand; Returning Officer K. Sarada Devi and police officials undertook a survey of the polling stations.

Counting will be taken up at the Mahatma Gandhi Community Hall in Trimulgherry with a strong room to store the 250 odd ballot boxes.

The previous counting centre of P.G. College, Secunderabad, had to be changed in view of civil service and other examinations. About 15 RTC buses will be pressed into service to transport election personnel and material.

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