Guwahati, Apr 18 : Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Saturday alleged security lapses in the strongroom where election materials of three constituencies – Demow, Sivasagar and Nazira – are stored.
Saikia, in a letter to Election Observer Narasimhaguri T L Reddy, said that security arrangements currently in place at Room No 12 and 15 of Sivasagar Government Boys HS and MP School, constitute “direct violations” of core guidelines mandated by the Election Commission.
Elections to the state’s 126 assembly constituencies were held on April 9, and the counting will take place on May 4.
The “photographic evidence”, which Saikia attahed along with the letter, shows that two doors of the rooms are secured by only a single padlock on one side, which has been sealed, while the other door appears to be merely shut from the inside, he alleged.
“This physical state is in direct and alarming contravention of the Election Commission of India’s strict directives designed to prevent unilateral or unauthorised access to sensitive election materials,” Saikia said.
The “failure” to implement a double-lock system violates the EC’s directive which categorically states that “the strongrooms should have only one entry point and double lock system”, and that “one key should be kept with the Returning Officer and the other with Assistant Returning Officer of concerned assembly constituency”, he said in the letter.
The EC has mandated that there shall be “double lock system with all keys of each lock with two separate specified officers”, but the presence of only a single lock renders these shared-key security protocols “entirely defunct”, he claimed.
In addition to the structural “vulnerabilities”, there is a “total collapse” of the mandated perimetre security and electronic surveillance at this specific location, Saikia alleged.
The current situation violates EC’s guidelines, which requires that the “inner most perimetre shall be guarded by CAPF and outer perimetre by State Armed Police”, he said.
It further violates the rule that mandates “minimum one platoon CAPF for 24X7 security shall be provided to guard the strong room round the clock”, Saikia said.
He also alleged that the “complete absence” of surveillance directly contravenes the directive that “CCTV cameras with sufficient storage facility shall be installed”, and “CCTV camera should cover sealed doors of polled EVM strongroom and election paper strongroom, security and corridor”.
“Furthermore, I must express my strong objection to the press release issued by the District Administration (subsequently shared on the Facebook page ‘Moi Sivasagar’), which dismissed my concerns and claimed that no official complaint had been received,” Saikia alleged.
He claimed that a representation outlining these “severe lapses” was sent to the Chief Electoral Officer and the Chief Election Commissioner on April 14, with copies duly marked to other relevant authorities.
The Congress leader said maintaining rooms with a “simple lock and key” in the immediate, unbarricaded vicinity of polled EVM strongrooms “fundamentally compromises the entire inner security perimetre”.
“Allowing open, unsecured ‘office rooms’ within the same corridor nullifies this inner perimetre entirely,” Saikia’s letter stated.
He urged the Election Observer to take cognisance of these “documented lapses” and take necessary steps to ensure the sanctity, transparency and credibility of the electoral process. (PTI)
