NT NETWORK
PANAJI/MARGAO
The votes polled in the panchayat elections will be counted on Tuesday bringing happiness and sadness to the people who contested the polls to local self-governing bodies held on Sunday.
Y Durgaprasad, the OSD to state election commission, told media persons at the poll panel office that a total number of 6,20,221 votes were polled in the panchayat polls, adding that vote counting would begin at 8 am in 21 counting halls at 13 centres in the state.
The poll panel has taken all the measures to ensure fair and peaceful counting, Durgaprasad said.
There will be 293 tables, and each table will have a supervisor and three assistants.
The counting of votes may get over by 9 pm as ballot papers were used for casting votes. The counting will entail a long process like opening, matching and segregation of ballot papers.
There will be seven-eight rounds of counting and each round may take at least 90 minutes. The vote counting will be done twice, as such it will consume a lot of time, he said.
Strict security will be maintained at the counting centres.
The returning officers for the Salcete taluka said the poll results for village panchayats of Raia, Cana Benaulim, Aquem Baixo, Carmona, Cavellossim, Chinchinim, Ambelim, Velim, Assolna, Paroda and Girdolim would be declared by 10.30 am as votes polled to elect new councils for these panchayats would be taken up for counting in the first round.
The vote counting will take place on the ground floor of the South Goa collectorate building and security personnel will be deployed at the gates of the administrative complex.
Results for all the panchayats of the taluka will be out by 4 pm.
There are three returning officers for the 33 panchayats of Salcete.
The votes polled for the village panchayats of Colva, Nagao, Majorda, Rumdamol-Davorlim, Telaulim, Darmapur-Sirlim, Sarzora, St Jose de Areal, Curtorim and Macazana will be taken up for counting in the second round after 10.30 am.
The votes polled for the village panchayats of Loutolim, Seraulim, Camorlim, Orlim, Navelim, Varca and Rachol will be counted in the third round.
The votes polled for the Verna panchayat will be counted last.
“We expect that the vote counting will end by 4 pm. We request the people to cooperate with us,” returning officer (2) Manoj Korgaonkar said.
The counting of votes polled for the Chandor village panchayat will be taken up on July 2 as a candidate passed away recently.
Twenty-two tables have been kept in a hall and that votes from each ward will be counted at a table by three officials.