After all-women booth, Chhattisgarh district to have only women personnel to count votes on December 3

RAIPUR: As Chhattisgarh officials prepare for the counting day on December 3 amidst tight and three-layered security cover and CCTV monitoring, the counting of votes for all three assembly constituencies in Kanker district will be done by all women personnel.
The district that also has women outnumbering men voters, the electoral officer and administration aims to affirm women empowerment by inducting all women personnel for counting of votes too.
Kanker collector and district electoral officer Priyanka Shukla said, “Over 194 women personnel have been put on duty in all three assembly constituencies for counting of votes. This is a unique experiment to bring equality in Kanker district having 12607 more women voters than men also, 9016 more women voted than men in the district.”
District administration has taken this initiative to hand over the command of counting of votes to women only, she said.
A total of 194 women employees will be on duty in counting of votes, who are presently being trained. A total of 52,107 voters increased in the voter list in the district, Shukla informed. In all three assemblies of the district, 48 women gazetted officers (lecturers) have been put on duty as supervisors for counting EVMs and 12 for counting postal ballots.
Besides, 48 women assistant teachers and clerks have been put on duty as counting assistants for counting EVMs and 24 for counting postal ballots, that is, a total of 72 women assistant teachers and clerks have been put on duty. Over 62 female staff have also been assigned the duty of carrying EVMs to the counting tables and other women officers have been assigned the duty of announcing the results, the official said.
Earlier, the results were written on black boards in the counting rooms but this time LED screens are being installed in all three rooms on which details of the results will be written.
From counting of votes to announcement of results, it’s an all women team leading Kanker. The district was in news for setting up an all transgender polling station in the first phase of elections on November 7, which had all transgender personnel and decorated in the rainbow theme.
In Raipur, the EVMs of seven assembly seats were being safe-guarded in the strong rooms at Government Engineering College under tight security of more than 200 personnel and CCTV monitoring. The security personnel deployed in three layers including CAPF, Chhattisgarh Armed Force and district police.
The strong rooms on December 3 will be opened sharp at 7 am and the trainings of counting personnel are underway across the state. The first few hours will cover the counting of postal ballot and then the counting on EVMs would begin.
There would be no mobile phone allowed inside the counting venue, officials said.