Voting to stop if webcasting falters in Bengal polling booths

Kolkata, May 31 (IANS) To keep a closer vigil on the activities in the polling booths during voting in nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal on Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to immediately halt the process in case of non-functioning or malfunctioning of webcasting.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that in case non-functioning or malfunctioning of webcasting in any booth or booths is detected before the beginning of the polling process, then the process will resume only after the problems are addressed and resolved.

In case, CEO office insiders added, the non-functioning or malfunctioning of webcasting is detected when the polling is underway, the process will be halted immediately and will resume once the problem is addressed and resolved.

“The presiding officers have been specially instructed to ensure that the CCTV cameras installed at the polling booths are fully and appropriately functional. In case the presiding officers continue with the polling even after any event of non-functioning or malfunctioning is detected, the presiding officer concerned will have site reasons for doing so. In case of dissatisfactory answers the Commission might order a departmental enquiry against him,” he said.

It is learnt that the Commission has taken this decision following a complaint by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday, where he provided the CEO’s office with information on non-functioning CCTV cameras in around 150 polling booths in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went for polls in the sixth phase on May 25.

According to Suvendu Adhikari, webcasting is mandatory for all polling booths in the state except those few which come under the “shadow line” because of the poor Internet connectivity in those remote areas.

–IANS

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