Polling tomorrow amidst tight police security
58,302 polling stations, use of police of other states
Bengaluru, May 11: Director General of Police and IG Neelamani N Raju said that the police department has taken all precautionary measures and security arrangements to ensure free and fair Assembly election in the state tomorrow.
Speaking to reporters at her office here on Friday, she said that total 58,302 polling stations were set up for voting and among them, 21,464 polling stations were identified as sensitive polling stations. Each such polling station was provided a head constable and a constable and general polling station was provided a constable or home guard, she added.
Police from other states
For the first time, total 7500 police force was summoned from Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, along with home guards and civil police personnel, for the election duty. Responding to the request, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh have also sent their forces. But since there was more force than requirement, they were sent back, the DGP said.
For the election duty, total 43,653 police personnel, 22,172 home guards, two thousand Seva Dal, and remaining 3000 from the forest staff, Lokayukta, CID and other organizations are being used for the purpose. Apart from this, 585 platoons of armed forces were also deputed and these forces were deputed as flying squads and sector squads. Apart from this, one armed personnel would be deputed for each of the sensitive polling booths, she said.
Only 117 cases were registered related to election in the state this year. As the police security was beefed up in some sensitive places like Shivamogga, Davangere, Bengaluru, Hubballi- Dharwad, no communal clashes or cases were reported. Except one murder in a fracas between two groups in an inebriated condition, at Chikkaballapur, no casualties were reported in any parts of the state, she said.
There were no reports of Naxal activities in the state. Except some information about their movement during January and February, no activities were reported. Nowhere the election was boycotted. Even then, sufficient police security has been provided in naxal-prone places, she added.
ADGP Kamal Panth was appointed as the nodal officer for election work and senior officer R Hitendra was appointed to look after the cases of expenditure and violation of code of conduct and DIG Sandeep Patil was given the responsibility of deputing armed forces and security forces. All three of them were in regular contact with Chief Election Officer, she said.
Precautionary measures
In view of the election, more than 40,000 people, having criminal background, were summoned to police stations and warned them. Based on the circumstances, the police stations would arrest such persons, if needed. Out of total 97,043 licenced weapons, 95,405 weapons were deposited in police stations after election code of conduct was enforced. But 1456 weapons were given relaxation from deposition and licences of 19 weapons were cancelled. Total 22 illegal weapons and 30 bullets were seized, he said.
“State assembly poll would be held tomorrow. Tight police security was made for polling. All measures were taken to ensure free and fair election in the state and people could vote without any fear”- DGP Neelamani N Raju
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
