417 booths in TVPM sesitive

Oct 10

While the candiates are busy wooing the voters, the law enforcers are also busy chalking out security measures so as to ensure a smooth polling.

A preliminary evaluation by the police has identified 417 polling booths in the capital district as sensitive. The total number of polling booths in the district comes to 3372 booths.

The situation of the neighbouring Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts are also more or less same. In Kollam 250 out of the 2878 polling booths are identified as sensitive and in Pathanamthitta 150 out of 1688 polling booths are sensitive.

“The sensitive booths have been identified on the basis of the law and order probelems that took place in these wards during the previous elections. Additional secureity measures would be initiated at the sensitive booths,” the source said.

The police have already prepared the security arrangments to be taken in connection with the polls that fall on October 23. The entire police force in the district would be mobilised for the security arrangments, police sources said.

As part of the security arrangments for the elections, it has been decided to form two law and order patrol teams in all police stations. Apart from the existing police circles and sub-divisions, more police circles and sub-divisions would be formed so as to tighten the security and ensure quick response in case of any law and order break down. Every building in which polling booths are located would be brough under tight police security.

Video surveillance would also be initiated at highly senstive areas. The City Police Commissioner and Rural SP would initiate further securtiy arrangments in consultation with the District Collectors.

The police would also establish a dedicated communicataion network connecting all polling booths, police stations and offices of senior police officers for quick exchange of messages. “ Such a system was established during the previous Parliament Elections and it was found to be effective,” said sources.

Ends