Micro-observers at every counting table

The Election Commission has decided to place one micro observer at each poll counting table to ensure greater transparency in the exercise. The micro observers will be from the central government services, state election office sources said today.   

"These micro observers will be entrusted with the task of ensuring that the sanctity of the counting process is not violated and the votes are tabulated without any error," the sources said. Apart from the micro-observers, the observers of the constituencies would randomly choose two electronic voting machines after each round to verify the result.    

The observers could seek more micro-observers if they found it necessary, sources said. The process of identifying central government employees for deployment as micro-observers would be completed within the next few days. Meanwhile, the authorities have made arrangements for round-the-clock vigil at 34 places across the state where EVMs have been kept.  

All the places were sealed in the presence of observers for all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar where polling was held in the first four phases.