‘CCTV Was Off’ Claim Goes Viral, Cachar Admin Hits Back With Strong Room Clarification: Silchar Civic Polls

The Cachar district administration has rejected claims circulating on social media that CCTV surveillance at the strong room of the Ramnagar ISBT in Silchar had failed, saying the election premises remained under continuous surveillance.

In a clarification issued on October 6, the District Election Officer and Returning Officer, Cachar, said that at around 2:30 am, a changeover in the power supply to the UPS caused five CCTV cameras to restart briefly. According to the administration, the cameras automatically resumed recording within around three to four minutes.

The administration said 51 other CCTV cameras covering the entire ISBT premises continued to record during the brief interruption. It maintained that no portion of the premises was left unmonitored.

The clarification came after a video circulated on social media claiming that CCTV surveillance at the strong room had failed.

The administration further stated that the strong room remains sealed with the seals of the candidates and is under round-the-clock police security. It said there had been no breach or untoward incident and that the security and integrity of the election process remained intact.

Candidates or their authorised agents can view the CCTV footage at the ISBT on request, the administration said.

However, a Congress member addressing the media raised concerns over the CCTV interruption and alleged that footage circulating on social media showed cameras at the strong room being switched off for around half an hour. He claimed that six cameras were not functioning during the period and said the party had concerns about the possibility of ballot boxes being changed.

The Congress representative also alleged that the BJP had used money, manpower and political influence during the election campaign and referred to alleged incidents in several wards, including Wards 1, 3, 17, 25 and 26. He further alleged that party workers and others had faced pressure and threats during the election period.

Addressing the CCTV issue, Cachar District Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta said the entire counting premises was under CCTV surveillance and that there had been some technical glitches. He said that when such glitches occur, only a few cameras may temporarily stop functioning while the remaining cameras continue to operate.

The District Commissioner said there are more than 50 CCTV cameras installed across the premises and urged people not to spread unverified rumours.

The clarification comes as counting of votes for the first Silchar Municipal Corporation election is underway at the Ramnagar ISBT from 8 am on October 6.

There are more than 90 counting tables, with three officials assigned to each table. Around 500 to 600 officials are involved in the counting process, according to the District Commissioner. The administration expects the counting to be completed within a maximum of four rounds, while wards with fewer voters may be completed in three rounds.

Of the 42 wards in the Silchar Municipal Corporation, candidates in two wards were elected unopposed. Votes are therefore being counted for the remaining 40 wards.

The administration has urged the public to rely on official information and avoid sharing unverified claims regarding the security of the strong room and the counting process.