No public gathering allowed outside counting hall

BALURGHAT: In wake of the second wave of Covid, the district administration of South Dinajpur has been asked to ensure pandemic protocols are followed and no public gathering be allowed outside the counting hall on May 2, said a senior official on Friday.

Strict rules have been imposed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the day of counting.

"Thermal scanning is a must for anyone entering the counting hall.

"Sanitiser, mask, face-shields and gloves shall also be made available there," the official said.

As per EC guidelines, no candidate will be allowed to enter inside the counting hall without producing a negative RT-PCR or RAT report. They can also produce the report of both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the official, the guideline and restrictions will be imposed for the media persons too.

The District Election Officer (DEO) has been given the responsibility to ensure adherence to the rules strictly.

The DEO shall make necessary proceedings to conduct RT-PCR/RAT test before the day of counting if the candidate/counting agent doesn't have the said report.

"The sufficient number of PPE kits will be supplied for the counting agents/candidates.

"Postal ballots may be counted in a separate hall if necessary in presence of a Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer," said the official.