Cops all set to ensure smooth elections

“We have deployed the personnel to maintain law and order near the polling booths and centres. Apart from our personnel,five additional companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) will be pressed into service. We have also asked for additional Rapid Action Force,” said Patnaik. He added,“The Joint Commissioner level officers,and those below them,have been told to avoid any untoward incident in their jurisdiction. No one apart from voters will be allowed within 100 metres of the polling booths,” said Patnaik.

Two officers of deputy commissioner of police level will be posted in police control room.

The police have also identified 163 sensitive pockets in the city and have dubbed 211 polling centers as sensitive and hyper-sensitive. Besides these,883 polling booths have been dubbed as sensitive/ hyper-sensitive. They have also externed 83 people from city limits ahead of the polls. These people have been asked to remain out of city limits for 15 days.

“Eighteen people from the south region,eight persons from the central region,12 from east region,30 from the west region and 15 from the north region have been externed. These persons are habitual offenders and have been asked to stay out of city limits,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajnish Seth.

The police have also seized 24 firearms ahead of the polls. More than 300 licensed firearm owners were asked to deposit their weapons at local police stations.

The police also said that victory rallies will need special permission from them. “If political parties or winning candidates want to hold rallies after the results are announced,they will have to take permission from us. We will tell them when they can hold the rally,” said Seth.