CUTTACK: In preparation for the upcoming general elections, the district administration has initiated steps for setting up vote-counting centres and strong rooms for the safekeeping of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
As Bhubanananda Orissa School of Engineering (BOSE), where strong rooms and vote counting centres were earlier set up, has become unsuitable given the ongoing expansion of SCB medical college and hospital, the district administration has decided to set up strong rooms and vote counting centres in the second campus of Ravenshaw University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) polytechnic located in CDA locality.
“We have already sent a proposal to the state election commission for setting up strong rooms and vote counting centres for six Assembly segments- Barabati-Cuttack, Choudwar-Cuttack, Cuttack Sadar, Salipur, Mahanga, Niali under Cuttack Sadar sub-division in the second campus of Ravenshaw University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University after inspecting the venues and holding a preliminary discussion with the authorities of the two institutions,” said collector Narahari Sethi.
As per the proposal, while strong rooms and vote counting centres for four Assembly segments will be set up in the second campus of Ravenshaw University, the same for the rest two segments will come up in MANUU, he added.
As was being done earlier, while the strong rooms and vote counting centre of Athagarh and Badamba Assembly segments will be set up in Athagarh College, the ones of Banki Assembly segment will be set up in Banki Autonomous College.