Kolkata, Apr 8 (UNI) In an effort to make the election free from threat and violence, the Election Commission of India is preparing a unique security design for the polls in West Bengal where, apart from adequate central forces, additional AI-driven webcams will be placed at critical locations in all polling stations to monitor the activities from the control room.
Sources in the commission said that this time the poll body is preparing to install artificial intelligence-based webcams both inside and outside polling booths to ensure strict adherence to electoral norms.
According to sources, the AI system will immediately alert micro-observers if even a single unauthorised person enters a booth beyond the permitted number.
As per guidelines, each polling station will have one presiding officer, three polling officers, and one polling agent per candidate inside the booth.
“Any deviation from this prescribed presence will trigger an alert,” a senior official from the CEO office in West Bengal told UNI.
The AI driven webcams will be capable of detecting human presence and “marking” individuals on screen using virtual rectangular outlines, enabling real-time identification and monitoring.
Each booth will be equipped with at least one webcam inside and another outside. In locations requiring enhanced vigilance, multiple cameras will be installed around the booth perimeter.
Live footage from these cameras will be streamed directly to a centralized control room for constant monitoring.
The system is designed to automatically flag irregularities.
From a layman’s parlance, if a booth is supposed to have 10 individuals but the AI detects 11, the concerned feed on the control room screen will immediately turn red.
Upon clicking the alert, officials will be able to access the presiding officer’s contact details and promptly seek an explanation for the breach.
The AI will also monitor voter activity near the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
“If a voter remains stationed in front of the EVM for longer than the stipulated duration—around two minutes—the system will flag the individual and notify the control room. Subsequently, the relevant sector officer and presiding officer will be contacted to address the situation,” the official said.
Special observer Subrata Gupta said that micro-observers stationed in the central control room will be able to simultaneously monitor feeds from up to 500 polling booths.
The facility will be equipped with 72 screens dedicated to booth surveillance, along with 18 additional screens displaying live visuals from Static Surveillance Teams (SST) and Flying Surveillance Teams (FST).
To facilitate swift communication, the control room will have 10 telephone lines, including a toll-free number through which citizens can lodge complaints.
Nearly 200 micro-observers will be deployed to oversee operations and respond to alerts in real time.
Additionally, flying squads, quick response teams, and static surveillance teams will remain on standby across all assembly constituencies.
Surveillance vehicles equipped with 360-degree cameras will transmit live footage directly to the control room.
These vehicles, along with those used by central forces and police, will be fitted with GPS tracking systems to ensure their movement in sensitive areas is continuously monitored.
The Commission’s AI-enabled surveillance framework is aimed at enhancing transparency, minimizing electoral malpractice, and ensuring a tightly monitored and secure voting process across West Bengal.
UNI SAG ARN