More than 8,000 security personnel to be deployed for panchayat and municipal elections: IGP

The Central Reserve Police Force, besides personnel of police, India Reserve Battalion and Arunachal Pradesh Police Battalion would be deployed for the rural and civic polls

More than 8,000 security personnel would be deployed for the panchayat and municipal elections to be held in Arunachal Pradesh on December 22, a senior police officer said.

Nine companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), besides 7,517 personnel of police, India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Arunachal Pradesh Police Battalion (APPB) would be deployed for the rural and civic polls, the officer said.

The state police have taken several security measures, including tracking those with criminal records, deposition of firearms and night patrolling, to ensure the peaceful conduct of election, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa said.

"The deployment of paramilitary forces is as per the classification of the 2,268 polling stations across the state," he said

The IGP said that forest guards and Itanagar traffic wardens would also be engaged in election duties.

The state police have identified 258 hypersensitive, 536 sensitive and 702 normal polling stations across the state. Each normal polling station would be guarded by two security personnel, while three personnel would be deployed in sensitive and four in hypersensitive booth, the IGP said.

Capital Complex Superintendent of Police (SP) Jimmy Chiram informed that the capital police have been on the job ever since the elections were declared by intensifying night patrolling and erecting 11 nakas in the state capital.

The SP said that so far 400 litres of liquor, 177 daos (big knife) and a few firearms have been seized by the capital police.

"The check gates in Hollongi, Banderdewa and Gumto will be sealed on December 22, the polling day, in order to ensure free and fair elections," Chiram added.

The state government has declared a holiday on December 22.

State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen informed that ballot papers printed for all the panchayat constituencies have been collected by all the districts, while the commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for Itanagar Municipal Corporation and Pasighat Municipality has also been done.

Of the total 2,259 polling stations in the state, voting would be held at 1,472 polling stations where 4,89,423 electors would exercise their franchise.

"There will be no election in the entire Dibang Valley district as all the segments in both zilla parishad and gram panchayat went unopposed," Kojeen said, adding that East Siang is the only district where polling would take place at all 120 polling stations.

As many as 110 gram panchayat segments in the entire state fell vacant due to various reasons. The State Election Commission would take a final call on conducting by-elections in those constituencies after the electoral process is over in the current phase of the election.

Counting of votes for both panchayat and municipal elections would be held on December 26.