EVMs are well guarded and kept safely, claims Karnataka CEO

Agencies

May 21, 2019

Bengaluru, May 21: Electronic Voting Machines (EVM)s in Karnataka are well guarded and kept safely, state Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said Tuesday, seeking to allay concerns over their safety.

"As you know EVMs are guarded with multi-layer protection.

So in the inner layer...core layer, we have got Central Paramilitary Forces.

So, three sections of CPF are made available in each place where EVMs are stored and then the outer cordon is by the district police.

So, it is all very safe," Kumar told reporters.

Further, all contesting candidates have been allowed to put their watch and ward also, he said, adding that volunteers of the candidates have been visiting the place andverifying what has been going on there.

The CEO said he does not think there is such "distress" in any place and asserted that the EVMs and VVPATs are being guarded very safely.

Asked by what time the final results would be out, Kumar said the first set of results may start from 3 PM and may be finished by 6 PM.

However, it can delay further too.

"There can be some delay, but that does not mean there will be very much delay, because generally we are starting our results from 12 PM.

But here, because four hours additional time will be required (for VVPAT counting), maybe from 3 PM onwards, we expect our results between 3 PM to 6 PM," Kumar added.

The CEO said a delay beyond 6 PM would take place if someone demanded the election results be recounted.

In addition to it, more number of postal ballots as well as Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots System (ETPBS) will also delay the final results, Kumar said.

So far, 98,606 postal ballots have been received said Kumar, adding that 25,769 were from service voters and 24,846 from special messengers from facilitation centres.

The remaining arrived through post.

Regarding preparations, Kumar said that 28 Returning Officers, about 438 Assistant Returning Officers and 180 Aditional Returning Officers would be deployed across 28 constituencies.

There will be 3,224 tables arranged for counting and there will be 4,215 rounds.

The Chief Electoral Officer 3,682 counting supervisors, 3,707 counting assistants and3,738 micro observers have been deployed.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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