Lok Sabha Polls '24: Stringent security measures ensured for strong rooms in West Tripura seat

Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 1 : Vigilance and security have been paramount in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in the aftermath of the April 19 elections in the West Tripura Parliamentary constituency, hence stringent measures have been implemented in the management of strong rooms, where post-poll EVMs are stored.
Security layers have been meticulously devised, comprising three tiers. At the innermost level, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ensures the sanctity of the stored equipment.
This layer is further fortified by the presence of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), followed by state police personnel at the outermost perimeter.
The largest among these strong rooms, housed at Umakanta Academy School, stands as a bastion of security, containing EVMs from 14 constituencies.
With 14 individual strong rooms, the facility is under constant scrutiny, with daily inspections conducted by both the Superintendent of Police (SP) office and the District Magistrate (DM) office.
Returning Officer, West Tripura Lok Sabha Constituency, Vishal Kumar spoke on the same and said, "After the election on April 19, in the 1 West Tripura Parliamentary constituency, we have arranged strong rooms in seven locations. Among these Umakanta Academy School's strong room is the biggest. It has 14 strong rooms containing post-poll EVMs of 14 constituencies."
"Inspections are conducted by the SP office and DM office on a daily basis. The strong rooms have 3 layers of security. At the inner level, we have CRPF, then TSR, and at the outermost, the state police. Everything is under complete CCTV supervision," he said.
"The access of the CCTV is allowed to all political parties, some gazetted officers DM and SP. There is a 24/7 electricity supply there and we have generators for power backups. All the appropriate guidelines for strongrooms are followed. And the preparation for counting is almost done and will be finished before a particular date," added the official.
The surveillance apparatus leaves no room for ambiguity, with comprehensive CCTV coverage spanning every corner of the facility.
Access to these feeds is granted to all political parties, as well as designated gazetted officers including the DM and SP, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout.
Uninterrupted power supply is guaranteed, with round-the-clock electricity provision complemented by backup generators, safeguarding against any potential disruptions.
Strict adherence to electoral guidelines underscores every aspect of the strong room management, assuring stakeholders and the public alike of the robustness of the system.
With preparations for the impending counting process nearing completion well ahead of schedule, confidence in the integrity of the electoral process remains unwavering.