PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Over 18,000 police personnel have been deployed across Uttarakhand for election duty in the first phase of the State’s three-tier Panchayat elections, voting for which is scheduled on Thursday.
According to the inspector general of police and the State nodal officer for Panchayat elections, Nilesh Anand Bharne, elaborate security and logistical arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling. He informed that polling parties from 49 block headquarters have been dispatched for duty, covering 4,679 polling booths spread across 5,823 locations.
Among these, 1,521 polling centres have been marked as sensitive and 533 as highly sensitive, prompting heightened security in those areas. The police have divided the State into 127 zones and 563 sectors to effectively monitor the process. Bharne said that the security arrangements include 3,420 Home Guards, 2,376 PRD Jawans, 1,512 personnel from the Forest department and 22 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
He stated that the police force aims to maintain law and order while ensuring that voters, especially those in remote and sensitive areas, can exercise their franchise without any fear or obstruction. All respective police in-charges have also been directed to stay alert and prepared to tackle the situation accordingly if it rains during the election, the IG added.
