Goa Congress flays delay in moving EVMs to strong room

Panaji, April 25 (IANS) The Congress in Goa on Wednesday questioned the "lackadaisical attitude" of the poll authorities in the state while alleging inordinate delay in transportation of EVMs from polling centres to strong-rooms in respective districts, which they claimed had rendered the machines vulnerable.

"We are shocked and surprised at the casual and negligent manner in which the Election Commission has treated the process of moving the EVMs to the strong-room, especially in North Goa, where some EVMs reached the strong-room today (Wednesday) evening," Congress chief spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar told reporters late on Wednesday.

He further alleged that the machines, once transported to the strong-rooms, were kept "casually" in the strong-rooms with no security arrangements.

"Already the security and safety of EVMs is under question, and this attitude shown by the Election Commission has further raised doubts in the minds of the public. It is very necessary that EVMs are stored with proper security for sake of people's faith in the election mechanism," Kawthankar said.

Reacting to the charge, District Returning Officer for North Goa R. Menaka said that the polled EVMs were fully guarded all along the journey to from the polling stations to the strong room located at the Government Polytechnic campus near Panaji.

"At no point in time any EVMs and all poll related documents remained outside the sight of security. All vehicles carrying Polled EVMs were in fully guarded secured Government Polytechnic campus after escorted from each polling station," Menaka said.