TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The State government has made elaborate security arrangements for Friday’s counting of votes polled in the recently concluded Zilla Panchayat elections. Over 2,000 police personnel, including officers, are keeping a strict vigil at over 15 counting centres across Goa.
The respective returning officers/sub divisional magistrates and sub-divisional police officers have been entrusted with the duty to ensure safety within and outside the counting centers.
“All the necessary security
arrangements are in place. Ballot boxes are under strict vigil in the strong room, where counting will also take place on Friday,” North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan told Herald.
Besides deployment of the force within the counting centres, Goa police have also ensured regular patrolling around the vicinity with 24×7 CCTVs monitoring movement around the counting stations.
The fate of 192 candidates is sealed in the ballot boxes. Of these 34 are from the BJP, while nine were backed by the Congress party and 149 Independents. Nearly 66 percent population voted across 1209 counting centres on Wednesday.
Counting of votes will be taken up at SAG Indoor Stadium, Campal; Forest Training School, Valpoi; Indoor Stadium, Peddem (Bardez I & II); Xetkari Sabha Hall, Pernem; Hirabai Zantye Memorial Hall, Bicholim; Collectorate building (Salcete I & II); Government sports complex, Sanguem; Office of Mamlatdar, Dharbandora; Government sports complex, Quepem; Government officers complex, Chawdi; Indoor stadium, Curti; Multipurpose hall, Mormugao and Multipurpose Hall SAG complex, Patrona Vasco da Gama.
