CCTVs didn't work in EVM strongroom for an hour: EC admits amid tampering charges

News Network
December 2, 2018

New Delhi, Dec 2: Amid concerns raised by the Opposition parties over the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), the Election Commission of India (ECI) has admitted that the cameras installed at an EVM strong room in Madhya Pradesh did not work for over an hour.

According to reports, the CCTVs installed in the strong room did not function for over an hour due to an unprecedented power cut on Friday.

"A report obtained from the Bhopal Collector states that CCTV cameras and an LED display installed outside the strongroom did not function from 8.19 am to 9.35 am on 30.11.2018 due to failure of electricity supply," reported NDTV quoting the poll panel statement.

The EC also said that additional inverter and a generator have been installed to ensure continuous electricity supply and assured that the machines are perfectly safe. "Two cordons of security personnel have been deployed to prevent any wrongdoing," the EC said.

Meanwhile, Naib Tehsildar Rajesh Mehra has been suspended on recommendation of the District Electoral Officer for allegedly causing a delay of 48 hours for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to reach strong room after polling.

On Friday, few Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers protested outside the strong room in Satna after a viral video showed an unknown person taking a carton inside the highly protected area.

The workers claimed that the state government was trying to tamper the EVMs. As part of the protest, the supporters even deflated the vehicles of the district administration. However, the district administration denied all the charges and stated that the EVMs were under the supervision of security personnel.

On Saturday, the Congress delegation met the Election Commission and raised concern over the security of EVMs inside strong rooms and their handling during the counting process in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the alleged deletion of voters in Uttar Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh went for voting on November 28, and the results will be announced on December 11.

Comments

Peacelovers
 - 
Sunday, 2 Dec 2018

Election commission  is RSS group n nagpur hg katputhly.

 

  1. Shame on them. Strong must hand over to Indian Army's custody together with CSIF and state governments reserved police force. Pemitted to watch Each political partys atleast Two represent. To stop shah soldiers criminalism this is must.

 

Peacelovers
 - 
Sunday, 2 Dec 2018

Election commission  is RSS group n nagpur hg katputhly.

 

Shame on them. Strong must hand over to Indian Army's custody together with CSIF and state governments reserved police force. Pemitted to watch Each political partys atleast Two represent. To stop shah soldiers criminalism this is must.

 

Peacelovers
 - 
Sunday, 2 Dec 2018

Election commission  is RSS group n nagpur hg katputhly.

 

Shame on them. Strong must hand over to Indian Army's custody together with CSIF and state governments reserved police force. Pemitted to watch Each political partys atleast Two represent. To stop shah soldiers criminalism this is mus. 

 

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Agencies
January 24,2020

New Delhi, Jan 24: The government's plan to sell national carrier Air India may face political and legal headwinds with senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy raising the red flag against the decision.

Days before the launch of bidding process by inviting Expressions of Interest (EoI) from potential suitors, Swamy has warned against such move, saying the issue was currently being discussed by a Parliamentary panel.

"Right now, it (Air India disinvestment) is before the consultative committee and I am a member of that. I have been asked to give a note which will be discussed in the next meeting. They can't go ahead without that," Swamy told media.

"If they do, I will go to court. They know that too," he cautioned.

A vocal opponent of Air India privatisation, Swamy had earlier suggested to list 49 per cent of Air India shares on stock exchanges while government holds 51 per cent in the carrier, as an alternative to selling its entire stake to private companies.

It has been reliably learnt that the Rajya Sabha member had expressed reservations over privatisation of Air India at the meeting of a Parliamentary consultative committee earlier this month.

After its failed first attempt, the Modi government has shown great zeal this time to sell Air India. It is set to offer a sweetened deal to potential buyers this time around by removing a large chunk of the debt and liabilities from the airline’s books.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier said that Air India will be shut down, in case the disinvestment exercise is not successful.

Sources told media that the preliminary information memorandum (PIM) inviting EoI has been tentatively scheduled to be unveiled on January 27.

Air India is proposed to be sold along with its subsidiary Air India Express and ground-handling joint venture company Air India Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd (AISATS) in which it has 50 per cent stake.

Air India on January 10 came out with a tender for engaging aircraft asset management companies for carrying out technical audit of its entire fleet.

A Ministerial panel on Air India chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on January 7 approved the draft EoI and a share purchase agreement (SPA) for the airline's disinvestment.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Chennai, Jul 30: Tamil Nadu government on Thursday extended the Covid-19 lockdown till August 31, giving only a few relaxations like allowing delivery of non-essential goods by e-commerce sites. The ban on public transport has been extended till August 31, while availing of e-pass for inter-district and inter-state travel will continue to be in force.

In a detailed statement, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced a “complete lockdown” during which only essential services would continue to be in force on all Sundays during the month of August across the state.  

In Chennai, restaurants will be allowed to open dine-in facilities at 50 percent of its total capacity from 6 am to 7 pm from August 1, while vegetable shops, grocery outlets and standalone commercial establishments will also be allowed to remain open from 6 am to 7 pm.

E-commerce sites have been allowed to begin delivery of non-essential goods from August 1, while the ban on public transport, temples in urban areas and towns, cinema halls, shopping malls, and gyms would continue till August 31.

It also said companies or factories in Chennai that have been allowed to function with 50 percent of staff can increase their strength to 75 percent from August 1.

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The government also asked companies to encourage its employees to work from home and advised commercial establishments to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as advised by it. Inter-state or inter-district travel will be allowed only with e-pass, while ban on metro and suburban trains continues.

The decision to extend the lockdown till August 31 comes as Tamil Nadu continues to grapple with an increasing number of coronavirus cases. The prevalence of the virus is no more limited to one city or region of the state with almost all districts reporting fresh cases, some of them over 200 new patients, every day.

On Thursday morning, Tamil Nadu’s Covid-19 tally was 2,34,114 including 1,72,883 discharges and 3,741 deaths. The active cases stood at 57,490.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Jan 27: Bidders for Air India Ltd. will need to absorb $3.26 billion of its debt, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration tries once again to sell the national carrier.

The entire company will be sold but effective control needs to stay with Indian nationals, according to preliminary terms published Monday. Bids are invited by March 17 with Ernst & Young LLP India as transaction adviser.

Air India, which started in 1932 as a mail carrier before winning commercial popularity, saw its fortunes fade with the emergence of cutthroat low-cost competition. The state-run airline has been unprofitable for over a decade and is saddled with more than $8 billion in debt.

Indian regulations allow a foreign airline to buy as much as 49% of a local carrier, while overseas investors other than airlines can buy an entire carrier. The government didn’t find a single bidder when it tried to sell Air India in 2018.

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