Nashik, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Amravati, Gondia, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Sindhudurg and Raigad will have the new warehouses. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had directed districts of all states to ensure warehouses are built to store Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines in an assembly constituency-wise manner.
In case of Maharashtra, 14 districts were to have new warehouses and while state warehouses in 19 district were to be taken on a 30-year lease. However, construction would be complete only for 10 before the elections. “The remaining 26 districts will continue to use rented facilities. Construction for new warehouses in Pune and Mumbai had begun but it unlikely to be completed before polls,” officials said.
The warehouse in Pune, is being built at a new site and will be completed by the first quarter of 2024. Officials estimate Rs 216 crore will be spent on construction and Rs10 crore on repairs of rented spaces.
