SEC launches its own poll app, eWatch, in Andhra Pradesh

VIJAYAWADA: State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar launched a software application called ‘eWatch’ to keep tab on poll-related irregularities, here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that it was an in-house software application developed at the request of the State Election Commission by Reliance Jio for use in the ensuing gram panchayat elections.

Explaining the importance of the app, Kumar stated that it was user-friendly. He urged the people to use the app to complain about poll-related irregularities and assured to attend to such complaints promptly. The action taken report would be sent to the complainants, he said.

He maintained that the Commission did not mistrust existing apps like ‘Nigha and cVigil,’ but only wanted to conduct the elections in a more transparent manner with zero-tolerance to violence and poll-related irregularities like booth capturing. He said that the moment they received a complaint of severe nature like booth capturing, their job was to de-escalate the situation within half-an-hour by attending to it promptly. He warned that district collectors and SPs would be held responsible if they failed to resolve such grave violations.

He called upon the district collectors to give widespread publicity on usage of the newly launched app to enable more number of people to use them. He lauded the district administrations, particularly young officers holding key positions, for making all requisite arrangements for the conduct of polls.

He said, “I appeal to the people living away from their native villages to return on poll day and exercise their franchise.”

Earlier, State Election Commission secretary K. Kannababu explained about the functioning of the app by saying that it could be downloaded from Google Play Store and people can register on it. He said that all the complaints would reach the call centre and after getting segregated based on the nature of the complaint, they would reach the district collectors and the SEC for follow-up action. He said that the identity of the complainants would not be disclosed. He also said that the app is tamper-proof.

Petition against ‘eWatch’ to be heard today

A lunch motion was filed in the High Court on Wednesday raising objections over the use of ‘eWatch’ app, developed by a private firm, instead of the government-run app like cVigil to receive complaints on poll-related irregularities.

Petitioner K. Sudhakar from Prakasam district filed the plea through his counsel Jayarami Reddy against the privately developed app being launched by the State Election Commission, which is a constitutional body.

Hearing the petition against state election commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar, Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami said that the plea would be heard on Thursday.