Photo caption.
There’s been no takers for the arrangements made for the candidates to keep a watch on the strongroom at the Borda EVM storage centre. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Many a candidates may have raised eyebrows over the safety and security of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from South Goa stored at the government multipurpose college building at Borda.
Welcome, however, to the multipurpose centre, where there are virtually no takers from the candidates to the arrangements put in place by the district election officials to the contestants or their agents and duly authorized representatives.
The election authorities have erected a pandal a metre away from the college building, offering a clear view of the strongroom. Till date, however, not a single candidate, their election agent or duly authorized representative has taken their seat in the pandal and monitor the strongroom from a distance.
Additional Collector Johnson Fernandes informed that the pandal has been specially erected for the candidates to come and view the movements around the strongroom. He, however, said not a single candidate has so far come to the pandal and has occupied the chairs till date. “The pandal has been erected in addition to the security arrangements put in place around the strongroom," Johnson said.
Replying to a question, he said candidates can even depute their representatives at the pandal provided they obtain prior permission from the district electoral office. “The candidates can come and monitor the strongroom from the pandal round the clock. They can also depute their election agents or representatives at the pandal specially erected for the candidates," Johnson added.
