Alipurduar, April 17 -- Nearly 11 years after Alipurduar was declared a separate district, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sanctioned Rs 2 crore to construct a dedicated warehouse for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). The long-awaited development has brought relief to district election officials and sports enthusiasts alike.
A similar warehouse is also being established in Jhargram district, which, like Alipurduar and Kalimpong, was functioning without a dedicated EVM storage facility since its formation. While Alipurduar and Jhargram have already received the grant, the Election Commission has assured that Kalimpong will receive funding soon.
For years, the absence of a designated ECI warehouse forced Alipurduar district administration to use the Alipurduar Indoor Stadium to store EVMs during elections, halting all sports activities for extended periods. This arrangement repeatedly drew criticism from athletes and local residents.
Construction of the new three-storied warehouse has already begun in Rabindra Nagar, Ward 19 of Alipurduar Municipality. Since the Election Commission does not have its own engineering department, the responsibility for construction has been entrusted to the Zilla Parishad's engineering wing.
"An amount of Rs 2 crore has been allotted for the construction of the EVM warehouse. Work is already underway and we expect the building to be completed before the next Assembly elections," said Shuvro Nandi, officer in-charge of the District Election Office.
The dedicated facility will not only secure the storage of EVMs, VVPATs and election-related documents but also ensure that sports infrastructure is no longer disrupted during elections. However, election-related activities such as training and coordination will continue to be held at the indoor stadium as before.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.