The Police Department will deploy 73,000 personnel on the bandobust duty at 1.37 lakh polling stations set up for the panchayat elections in the Stated. A strict vigil are being maintained along the inter-State border to prevent the entry of trouble mongers.
Sensitive villages
The police have started binding over the people with criminal antecedents and those were involved in poll-related violence. “We have identified the troublesome villages, sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling stations, apart from the execution of non-bailable warrants and deposit of licensed weapons for smooth conduct of the elections,” a police officer said.
Director General of Police (DGP) D. Gautam Sawang said many polling stations were located in the areas affected by left wing extremism in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts.
“Additional forces will be deployed as a precautionary in those villages. A posse of 1.06 lakh security personnel were deployed during the general elections that ensured an incident-free polling in the State. We hope that panchayat elections will be conducted smoothly,” said Mr. Sawang and urged the voters to exercise their franchise without any influence and fear .
He said that all the police force would be deployed on bandobust duty, apart from a few aged staff who would be posted at police stations.
“Flag marches, cordon and search operations, vehicle checking, border meetings with the neighbouring State police and coordination meetings with the village and community heads are being conducted,” the DGP said.
Security will the strengthened in Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari, Srikakulam, Anantapur, Chittoor, Kurnool and Nellore district that share the inter-State borders, he added.
Border checkposts
Meanwhile, Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) Commissioner Vineet Brijlal said that the Inter-State borders already have 25 excise checkposts and 389 more to check smuggling of sand and liquor.
“Apart from these, 30 checkposts have been set up exclusively for the local body elections and a separate control has been set up. “Vigil has been stepped up to prevent the flow of money and liquor and entry of criminals from the neighbouring States. The police are also holding meeting with the boat owners to avoid infiltration of criminals and liquor and cash through rivers and canals during the elections,” Mr. Brijlal said.
