Elaborate arrangements have been made for providing security and maintaining law and order for the phase I elections to local bodies in five districts on December 8.
The 16,159 police personnel posted for duty in the five districts will assume charge at 6 a.m. on Monday at respective places, State Police Chief (SPC) Loknath Behera said.
The SPC said among the posted officials, 66 are in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, 292 inspectors 292, 1,338 sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, and 15,272 civil police officers. In addition, 1,404 home guards and 3,718 special police officers have also been posted.
29 Striking Force teams
Nodal Officer for Election P. Vijayan said eight company of Striking Force teams are ready under the SPC to meet any emergency situation. Seven teams will be in place under the Zonal IGP, DIGs and District Police Chiefs. All the five districts have been divided into separate regions for the deployment of police and effective monitoring.
Mr. Vijayan said surveillance and additional police patrolling would be undertaken in the 1,722 booths that had been identified as hyper-sensitive. Group patrols (716), for a maximum of 13 polling booths, had been set up. To maintain law and order, two additional police patrols (354) will be in place in every police station in the five districts.
An election cell is functioning under Mr. Vijayan at the Police Headquarters in the capital to monitor the police personnel and to give necessary instructions to those on the field.
