Over 150 CAPF companies along with Police, IRP deployed in Pir Panjal
Rajouri, May 23: Security arrangements have been bolstered all across the Pir Panjal sub-region to ensure smooth and peaceful polling for Lok Sabha elections.
The redrawn Anantnag-Rajouri-Poonch parliamentary constituency is going to polls on May 25, in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Over one hundred and fifty companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) besides Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) and Indian Reserve Police (IRP) personnel have been deployed to guard the polling stations and other locations.
Pir Panjal sub-region, comprising twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, is passing through a 'concerned' security stage as it has witnessed several terror acts in the last couple of years, including the recent attack on an IAF convoy at Danna Shaistar, Poonch in which an IAF soldier lost his life while four personnel were injured.
Taking no chance, security agencies have heightened arrangements to ensure incident-free voting day and other allied events, concerning Lok Sabha elections in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Official sources said, “After threadbare discussion at all levels, a multi-dimensional strategy or say election security plan has been devised. All the polling stations have been divided into two categories. The first category includes polling stations falling in normal areas while the other category comprises polling stations located in areas, having critical security concerns.”
“The polling stations under the critical category are those which are located in remote, far-off areas, having apprehension of law and order problems and especially those in the areas, which have witnessed some sort of terror incident in the last few years or movement of terrorists,” they said.
Official sources confirmed that elaborate security arrangements were put in place for all such polling stations, with the deployment of almost triple the number of security personnel as compared to previous elections.
They said that these polling stations would have double-layered security cover as they would be guarded by CAPF as well as police personnel.
“Besides, security cover at polling locations, army and SoG of police will dominate all the upper reaches, hilltops and other sensitive locations in twin districts. Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) will also remain deployed at all sensitive locations,” official sources informed.
Alongside these polling stations, the official sources said, all other important locations like EVM dispatch centres; EVM collection centres, and polling team vehicles’ movement routes would also be guarded by ROPs of forces, including those of the Army.
“More than one hundred and fifty companies of CAPFs besides other forces have been inducted in areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts for conduct of elections,” they said.
Security forces have conducted as many as five long-range area domination patrols and route marches in Rajouri and Poonch during the last three weeks for “better area familiarisation of inducted forces as well as area domination.”
A similar route march was also carried out on Tuesday in Rajouri town in which around thirteen hundred personnel of police, and CAPFs took part.
Earlier, District Magistrate Rajouri, Om Parkash Bhagat, who is District Election Officer (DEO), Rajouri, had stated, “Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place across the district for the smooth and peaceful conduct of elections and a required number of CAPF companies are being inducted.”
DGP Rashmi Ranjan Swain and GOC White Knight Corps, Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva and also visited areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts two days ago and reviewed the overall security situation, particularly given upcoming events (of elections).
The officers called for strengthening the cooperation within the forces.
