Security beefed up for ZP/TP polls

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 29: Superintendent of Police Dr. A. Subrahmanyeshwar Rao said that there are 25 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) booths and 92 Taluk Panchayat (TP) booths in Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, and Belthangady, all coming under 728 police stations. He was addressing reporters at a press conference held in the mini meeting hall of the SP office on Dec 29.

Regarding security arrangements, he said that one head constable, one constable, and two home guards will be deployed to each hyper sensitive booth and that one head constable, three constables, and home guards will be deployed to 31 Naxal affected booths.

4 DSPs, 12 CPIs, 50 PSIs, 85 head constables, 81 constables, and 600 home guards will be deployed to each of the 728 police stations. 1 DSP, 7 CPI, 16 PSI, 75 head constables, 397 constables, and 157 home guards will also be deployed from Mangalore and Bangalore as well as home guards from Tumkur. In case of any untoward incident, the striking mobile squads will respond within 15 minutes.

Four taluks will be communicating in separate channels; and after the elections, the arrangement of carrying out ballot boxes will be taken care in the midst of strict security.

So far, only one cheating case was registered in Bantwal Taluk Panchayath, in which a fake candidate had withdrawn the real candidate’s nomination. The cheater was nabbed and the police have already registered a case. In Mangalore, no such case has been reported, he added.