Cops look at other states for help
Delhi police have asked for 15,000 additional personnel from other states to be deployed in the city ahead of next month’s civic elections.
Delhi police have asked for 15,000 additional personnel from other states to be deployed in the city ahead of next month’s civic elections.
The chiefs of Delhi’s 11 districts have also been told to revise the list of sensitive and hypersensitive booths. Of the total 11,505 polling booths, as many as 20% were branded sensitive and hypersensitive by the deputy commissioners of police apparently to get extra forces. Senior officers have now asked district authorities for fresh surveys to reduce the number of such booths.
“The number of booths for this year’s MCD polls has shot up by 2,500. We would, therefore, require more forces this time,” a senior officer said on the condition of anonymity.
“District police chiefs had been asked to identify sensitive booths. But the number of such booths was reported to be so high that we have asked them to submit a revised list,” he added.
Sensitive booths were identified on the basis of various factors, including the population of the area and whether there had been any violence during the last elections. “We must cover at least 2,700 premises during the MCD elections. The last time around, polling had taken place at 2,000 premises,” the officer said.
The Delhi police have asked for 4,000 home guards and 5,000 personnel from Uttar Pradesh police. Moreover, 25-30 companies (nearly 3,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces have been called in to look after security during the elections.
“Other than the forces that are to come from outside the city, we have over 80,000 personnel to provide security at various areas in the capital. Even the clerical staff will be tasked with election duty,” the officer added.
Once the district police chiefs submit their revised lists, a
plan will be drawn up for the security arrangements at over 11,000 booths across the city. PCR vans and Emergency Response Vehicles will be stationed outside hypersensitive booths.