Temporary canteen at GCT on counting day

Cleared/Ali
Coimbatore: The district administration has allowed a private hotelier to temporarily set up a canteen on the premises of Government College of Technology (GCT) on Thadagam Road in the city to supply food and snacks for counting agents and cadres of various political parties on the counting day, May 23.
Usually, political parties bring breakfast and lunch from outside for their counting agents and cadres on the counting day.
Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency covers six assembly constituencies – Coimbatore South, Coimbatore North, Kavundampalayam, Singanallur, Sulur and Palladam. It has 19,58,577 voters and only 63.84% of voters turned out to exercise their franchise. Following the poll, all the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Control Units and VVPATs for the six constituencies were brought to the strong rooms at the GCT. All the political parties and independent candidates were asked to submit counting agent details along with their photographs and identity proofs. Identity cards to enter the vote counting halls will be issued soon to them.
The training for government officials on counting votes will be given on May 21 by the ECI.
The decision to set up the canteen was taken after political parties requested the returning officer and district collector K Rajamani to step up on at the counting centre on May 23.