Rajamahendravaram: Mobile phones not allowed in counting centres

Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari Collector and District Election Officer Dr K Madhavi Latha clarified that mobile phones will not be allowed in the counting centres of General Elections-2024 under any circumstances. A training programme was conducted for returning officers and other staff on counting arrangements and counting process at the Collectorate here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Collector asked the officials to strictly follow the legal norms in the counting hall. She said that strict checks will be conducted to prevent mobile phones from being brought into the counting hall.

She said that four buses are being arranged to transport the staff. No one except the counting staff should be allowed in the counting area. Returning officer’s mobile phone will be allowed in the counting hall. She said that the information should be given round by round through this phone. A red mark should be set up to mark the area up to which the media is allowed inside the counting centre.

Party candidates, counting agents, and election agents will be allowed into the counting centre. A maximum of 14 agents will be allowed in each counting centre. She said that the votes recorded in Form-17C will be checked with the number of votes deposited in the EVMs, and the counting staff will note the number in Form 17C Part 2 and take the signature of the agents on it.

After that, the seal of the EVMs will be removed and the result button will be pressed. She said that the staff will write the details of how many votes each candidate has received on the board set up in the counting centre and the whole process will be recorded and preserved.

Rajahmundry Rural RO N Tej Bharat, Rajahmundry Urban RO K Dinesh Kumar, Kovvur RO Asutosh Srivatsav, DRO G Narasimhulu, Rajanagaram RO A Chaitravarshini, Gopalapuram RO KL Sivajyoti, Anaparthi RO M Madhuri, Nidadavolu RO RV Ramana Naik, Rajahmundry Parliament Assistant Returning Officer SDCR Krishna Naik, Trainee Deputy Collectors M Bhanu Prakash and P Suvarna were present.