The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Paramilitary forces arrive for election duties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 06, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Paramilitary forces arrive for election duties

K.T. Sangameswaran

They will be posted in `sensitive' booths; more forces to arrive

CHENNAI: With only three days left for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, 160 companies of Central paramilitary forces have arrived so far in the State for deployment as part of the bandobust arrangements. The remaining 36 are expected to arrive on Friday and Saturday.

A senior police officer told The Hindu that a detailed plan had been drawn up.

The personnel would be deployed in the constituencies from Sunday. A total of 196 companies of paramilitary personnel would be deployed in the State, which had an electorate of about 4.63 crore and 51,534 polling stations.

The state police has a total strength of 93,000 and barring those who on other essential duties, the others will be mobilised for election work. Besides regular patrolling, striking forces will be available at the disposal of the Inspector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Additional Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police and the four zonal Inspectors-General of Police.

Sensitive constituencies

Election authorities have identified 60 constituencies as "sensitive". The polling booths have been divided into sensitive and ordinary and Central paramilitary forces will be posted in sensitive booths. The others will have State police personnel on duty. Besides, there will be mobile parties. Each of them will cover 10 polling booths. Pickets will be posted at the counting centres besides the usual patrol parties.

A big relief to the police is the end of the `Veerappan-oriented arrangements.' During the last elections in 2001, there were 94 polling stations in Sathyamangalam and the adjoining areas and the police had to exercise greater vigil.

Chennai arrangements

In Chennai there are 5,983 booths. Following the annexing of the erstwhile Chengalpattu East police jurisdiction with the Chennai City Police, the Commissionerate now has under its control 19 constituencies in full, including Thiruvottiyur, Villivakkam, Tambaram, Alandur and Poonamallee.

The total number of booths includes 168 coming under neighbouring Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Sriperumbudur and Thiruporur constituencies in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

A total of 360 mobile police parties and striking force parties with Inspectors, Assistant Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Additional Commissioners and the Commissioner will form part of the arrangements.

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