Control room with about 90 screens to monitor 500 booths
Kolkata: In a major technology-driven step for immediate intervention on the day of the poll, the office of the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday launched a central control room at its office on Strand Road consisting of 72 large screens. 18 more screens will be arranged taking the total number to 90, through which 500 booths can be monitored live simultaneously by micro-observers from the day before the scheduled poll day. As of now, 200 odd micro observers will be keeping a hawk eye on the activities of the static surveillance teams and flying squad teams.
“The Artificial Intelligence-based verification system that has been introduced in the control room will give a pop-up signal in case of any suspicious or untoward incident on the day of poll and immediately the message will be delivered to the quick response team and the central force deployed so that they can intervene immediately,” said an EC official.
The control room has been equipped with 10 dedicated telephone lines. The moment a complaint is received from any booth, instructions will be relayed directly to the sector officer, general observer, police observer and Quick Response Team (QRT) so that forces can reach the spot within minutes and restore order. There will be a mechanism for the QRT to directly interact with the presiding officer of the concerned booth for verifying the complaint and accordingly proceed.
Special Observer Subrata Gupta on Tuesday said that every polling booth in the state will be equipped with two cameras. One camera will be installed inside the booth, while another will be placed outside the booth premises. The internal camera will monitor the movement of polling agents and voters, while the external camera will keep watch on queue management and any attempt to create tension or disorder around the booth area. In sensitive booths, two cameras will be installed inside the booth.
Camera surveillance infrastructure will also be developed at the control room of the District Electoral Officers and the Returning Officer(RO).
