He added that the BEL engineers loaded the symbols into the symbol loading units (SLU) and brought the machines to commissioning tables.
After the symbol loading unit is connected and power is given, the VVPAT prints seven slips to check the parameters.
“In the initial phase (first round), the BEL engineers clicked the print button and immediately disconnected without waiting for the full print of the VVPAT slips.
Moreover, the symbol loading unit and VVPAT are connected through the latch.
As the BEL engineers are responsible for the symbol loading unit, they shall be personally held responsible for this lapse,” Inbasekar said.
How did the issue get solved?
The RO said that the VVPAT with the serial number VVTED49299 was taken to a mock poll for casting 1,000 votes, the slips were tallied with the machine count, and the agents of parties were convinced. “We have a complete record of events on CCTV camera,” he said.
He added that the BEL engineers loaded the symbols into the symbol loading units (SLU) and brought the machines to commissioning tables. After the symbol loading unit is connected and power is given, the VVPAT prints seven slips to check the parameters.
“Once all seven slips show "Pass", then the Symbol Loading is started by pressing the topmost button in the Symbol Loading Unit by the engineer. Once symbol loading is completed, the same button was pressed to take a printout of the loaded symbols. Once the button is pressed it takes little time to print all the symbols loaded. In case power is cut off during printing, the slip printed till then hangs in the VVPAT and is not cut,” the report explained.
“In the initial phase (first round), the BEL engineers clicked the print button and immediately disconnected without waiting for the full print of the VVPAT slips. This is the root cause of the problems,” the RO alleged.
He added that when the machines were brought to the table, the hanging slip was cut first, giving the impression that the BJP got a vote without pressing the ballot button. “Since the Lotus symbol was the first in the ballot paper, its print came as there was a very short moment after pressing the print button and disconnection. In certain cases, we also observed the second candidate's symbol also coming. But all these slips had in the top ‘not to be counted.”
“The entire episode was avoidable had the BEL engineer followed the protocol of taking the full print of symbols after pressing the print button. Their explanation that some labourers disconnected is not at all acceptable. It is not practically possible for a labourer to grab the symbol loading unit from the learned engineer and disconnect within that short span of time that too after pressing the print button. Moreover, the symbol loading unit and VVPAT are connected through the latch. The latch is very strong. It needs some effort to disconnect. As the BEL engineers are responsible for the symbol loading unit, they shall be personally held responsible for this lapse,” Inbasekar said.
