Lucknow, April 30: With demand for postponement of counting of votes of the four phase three tier Panchayat polls by the teachers association, the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) had refused to entertain such demand and now issued strict norms for the counting process to be undertaken from the morning of May 2.

Counting of ballot papers of the panchayat polls will be held from 0800 hours on Sunday.

The SEC has already passed an order that the counting agents and the candidates will have to possess negative report of Covid for their entry inside the counting centres.

Besides, all the counting centres will have medical help desk and everyone would be checked of their temperature before giving entry inside the counting centres.

State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar said here on Friday that action would be initiated under the Calamity Management Act, 2005, against anyone found violating Covid safety norms during

counting of votes for panchayat elections on May 2.

Presiding over a meeting with DMs on Thursday night ,Mr Kumar issued a slew of directives, including negative RT-PCR or rapid antigen test report — conducted 48 hours before the counting — by candidates or their representatives.



SEC also announced complete ban on victory processions by candidates and their supporters. It also made it mandatory for candidates to submit the list of counting agents to the district electoral officers by Friday.



The measures came two days after the High Court rapped the poll panel over deaths of 135 teachers who were deployed on poll duty during the four-phase panchayat election.



The commission said that the district administration will ensure no crowding takes place at the place of counting. It also banned entry of persons not wearing masks and having symptoms like fever, cold and cough at the place of counting of votes.



Mr Kumar said that all persons will be subjected to thermal scanning and proper sanitisation before being allowed entry at the counting hall.

The commission also directed that a medical help desk will be set up in all counting centres.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh ShikshaMahasangh, a federation of basic and secondary school teachers of the state, has demanded not to hold counting of votes of Panchayat elections on May 2 in view of the prevailing Covid situation in the state.

Convener of MahasanghDr R P Mishra said that the Mahasangh has written a letter to the Election Commissioner saying that due to spurge in corona cases and reports of hundreds of employees who had taken part in the election process, tested positive the counting should be deferred till situation improves.

“It is better if we postpone the counting. The election is over. The earth will not fall if we delay the counting by a month or so and hold the same when the situation improves,” Dr Mishra said.

The four-phase elections ended on April 29 and counting of votes will be on May 2.

He claims that the Election Commission has asked the sangh to give a list of employees who have lost their lives due to corona. “We are compiling the list. So far, to our estimate around 700 government employees, including teachers, and their family members have lost their lives,” he said.(UNI)