Elaborate security in place for ZP, TP polls, says ADGP

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Mohan on Wednesday said all precautionary measures have been taken for peaceful conduct of zilla and taluk panchayat elections in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts, coming under Western Range. 

The elections will be held on February 20. 

Speaking to mediapersons after holding a review meeting here, he said the total number of polling booths in three districts is 2,737 and the booths in Mangaluru city police commissionerate limits is 362. Out of 2,737 polling booths in the three districts, 732 are sensitive and 268 are hypersensitive. In  Mangaluru city, there are 42 hypersensitive and 134 sensitive polling booths. Elaborate security arrangements will be in place for the sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths, he said. 

There are 154 booths in Maoist-affected areas in three districts in the range including 61 in Dakshina Kannada and 54 in Udupi districts. Armed police personnel will be deployed at the Maoist-affected areas and ANF will be combing in these areas, he added. 

The ADGP said the three districts have 2,500 police personnel already and additional 3,000 police personnel will be deployed for election duty. About 2,000 Home Guards and special commandos will also be deployed wherever required. He said around 25 KSRP platoons will be deployed in the three districts. 

High alertAlok Mohan said though there are no intelligence inputs on movement of Maoists in the region and the police are on high alert. 

Apart from this, IGP (Western Range) had recently convened a meeting of the police personnel from border districts of Kerala to alert the police to keep an eye on the movement of ‘bad elements.’ 

Goonda ActGoonda Act has been invoked against 16 persons, including three in Mangaluru city police in the Western Range from December. 

“We will not allow anyone to take law into their hands. The habitual creators of problems will be dealt sternly,” he warned. 

The Goonda Act has been invoked against 100 persons across the State in the last three months, he noted.