The police department is fully geared to ensure peaceful conduct of the local body elections in the State, Director General of Police D. Gautam Sawang has said.
The elections are scheduled to be conducted from March 21 to 31 in the State.
Addressing the media at the A.P. Police Headquarters at Mangalagiri near here on Saturday, Mr. Gautam Sawang said that steps had been taken to check distribution of liquor and money to influence the voters. “Vigil has been heightened at all border check-posts,” the DGP said.
Tight security
About one lakh police personnel, who included APSP, CRPF and forces from the neighbouring States, would be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the elections. Satellite phones, VHF-based handsets and body-worn cameras would be used. Remote Area Communication Enforcement (RACE) vehicles would also be pressed into service to identify black spots, the DGP said.
Aerial survey would be conducted using helicopters and drones in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas. If necessary, helicopters would be used to shift the police forces and ballot boxes, Mr. Gautam Sawang said.
“In all, 389 border check-posts have been set up to prevent the entry of criminals and check the transport of liquor and money from the neighbouring States. Senior police officers of the rank of SP, DIG and IGP will be posted in each district to prevent any untoward incidents,” the DGP added.
“For the first time, the Nigha App has been introduced to check flow of money and liquor during the elections. Candidates caught distributing liquor and cash in violation of the model code of conduct will be imprisoned for two years. People are requested to alert the police over ‘Dial 100’, 112, or the Nigha App in this regard,” he said.
Of the 18,133 MTPC/ZPTC booths, 1,915 were identified as hypersensitive and 2,849 as sensitive. Similarly, of the 3,711 municipal booths, 476 were identified as hypersensitive and 709 as sensitive. In the gram panchayats, out of 27,735 booths, 3,053 were hypersensitive and 4,399 sensitive.
Striking forces, special striking forces, strongrooms and mobile striking forces would also be deployed at all the booths, the DGP added.
Vijayawada Police Commissioner Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Additional DG (Law and Order) Ravi Shankar Ayyannar, IGP B. Srinivasulu, Guntur Range IGP J. Prabhakara Rao and other officers were present.
