Tamil Nadu polls: One lakh police personnel deployed for fair election
Chennai: As part of the efforts to ensure a free and fair poll in Tamil Nadu on May 16, the police have made elaborate security arrangements in all the 234 Assembly constituencies.
The Additional Director-General of Police, Law and Order, C.Sylendra Babu, said the state was well covered with police and para military forces to ensure smooth polling.
About 65,000 police personnel of Tamil Nadu and 35,000 special police officers like home guards, ex-servicemen ex-firemen, ex-forest guards would be deployed for duty. About 282 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), comprising 20,000 men, would be deployed for election-related activities, Babu said in a press release.
In Chennai, police have made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth, free and fair elections, said Greater Chennai police Commissioner Ashutosh Shukla, in a press release. A total of 24 Assembly Constituencies and six partial constituencies come within the commissionerate’s jurisdiction.
A total of 12,500 personnel including police, home guards, retired police and ex-army personnel were deployed for security in 7552 booths besides to form 544 mobile parties in and around Chennai.
A total of 298 polling locations were identified as 'vulnerable’ and additional Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel were deployed in those places.
Complementing this arrangement, there are 420 striking force teams, comprising 4,500 policemen. A total of four control rooms are functioning at the Commissioner’s office to monitor movement of the personnel.
Babu said there were 58,468 polling stations spread out in 28,005 polling station locations each of which is covered either by a police officer or a special police officer. A total of 3,653 polling locations have been identified as 'sensitive’, where four members of CAPF have been deployed apart from police and special police personnel.
There would be 5,142 zonal mobile parties that would frequently visit polling stations. Senior officers of the rank of Deputy superintendent of police,
Additional superintendent of police, and superintendent of police are provided
with 514 striking forces to deal with any situation. There are 1,153 quick reaction teams readily available for immediate emergency response in a law and order situation.To prevent inducement to voters, 776 flying squads have been augmented with 5,142 zonal mobiles, 688 static surveillance teams and 488 night flying squads, all totalling to 7,094 teams.
As a preventive measure, security proceedings have been initiated against 11,231 persons. A total of 17,472 licensed guns had been deposited in the respective police stations out of 20,025 licensed guns. The other guns have been accounted for, the ADGP said.
