Congress-PPP workers guard strong rooms

Wednesday, 07/05/2014

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=102378&boxid=58190&uid=&dat=2014-05-07

Bathinda : Apprehending the three-tier security arrangements insufficient to protect the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Congress-PPP workers have created a fourth layer of guard outside strong rooms in Bathinda Lok Sabha.

Confident to see their candidate winning the seat, the Congress-PPP workers have pitched their tents just outside the strong rooms in the constituency with a determination to keep round-the-clock vigil there. “The fate is sealed in the EVMs but we are all sure that this time the ruling alliance is going to lose so with the ground reports also been reaching them, we fear that the EVMs can be tampered with,” apprehended Bathinda (rural) Block President of the Congress Parminder Singh, who was also one among the over-a-dozen Congress workers camping in a tent put up between the Pesco Training Centre and Institute of Hotel Management, where the EVMs of four assembly segments of Bathinda seat were lying placed.

“Unwilling to take any chance, we have put up these tents outside each of the strong rooms. After taking permission from the Returning Officer on daily basis our party workers sit outside the main door of the strong room. Their shifts have been changed after 12 hours,” he added.

The administration has created four strong rooms in Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency, while three are in the Industrial Growth Centre here the fourth one is located in Mansa. The EVMs belonging to Lambi, Bathinda (urban), Bathinda (rural), Bhucho, Talwandi Sabo and Maur assembly segments have been placed at three centres established local in Institute of Hotel Management, Pesco Training Centre and Central University of Punjab, all located in the Indisutrial growth centre.

Leaving the outer layer with the state Police, the election authorities have handed over the security arrangements of the middle and inner tiers to the Central Paramilitary Forces. Visiting the spot, it was observed that the Congress-PPP workers had been camping there as if they all had come there to participate in dharna with the party also providing them with lunch tiffins and cold water campers.

When asked the jawans of CRPF posted there to guard the EVMs placed in strong rooms said, “They have been sitting here with the authority letter issued from the Returning Officer so we have no issue with them. Otherwise we are committed towards our job and for that no one can dare even to make an attempt to come close to the strong rooms.”