The EVMs  stored in strong rooms in Jagatsinghpur and  Gajapati district in Odisha would be shifted to safer places in view of the cyclonic storm FANI which is expected to make a landfall in Odisha coast  on May three next.

Chief Electoral Officer Surendra Kumar told newsmen here that the EVMs of Balikuda-Erasama would be shifted from the ground floor to first floor and EVMs of Mohana and Parlakhemundi in Gajapati  district, now stored in  M R High School, will be shifted to newly built strong room near the Collectorate to save the EVMs from the impact of cyclone and rain.

Kumar said the entire shifting  process would be videographed to maintain transparency and  the political parties would be informed about the shifting in each stage.

The  ECI took the decision on the recommendations of the CEO who made the recommendations after analyzing the scenario with all the district Collectors.

Kumar said the ECI also approved the proposal for retrofitting of strong rooms in various places in 14 districts and to prevent seeping of  rain water into the strong room. He has directed the administration to keep adequate quantity of polythene and tarpaulin for safe keeping of the EVMs.

The districts included Koraput, Rayagada, Khurda, Cuttack, Anugul, Bhubaneswar, Sundergarha and Jharsuguda.

Surendra Kumar said Odisha recorded an overall polling per centage of  73.08 per cent in 21 Lok Sabha and for 146 Assembly seats in the 2019 elections.

He said while 73.76 per cent voting was recorded in first phase, 72.56 per cent was recorded in second phase 71.61 per cent polling was recorded in third phase and the voter turnout in fourth phase was 74.50 per cent.

The CEO said the Nabarangpur Parliamentary Constituency recorded the highest polling per cent of   78.89 per cent and the lowest polling percentage of 59.63 per cent was recorded in Bhubaneswar Parliamentary Constituency.

Kumar said among the Assembly constituencies while Kotpad recorded the highest polling per centage of 86.83 per cent, the lowest voter turnout  of 43.04 per cent was recorded in Bhubaneswar Central Assembly  Constituency.