Around 60 additional companies of Central paramilitary forces would be deployed in the State to help conduct free and incident-free elections to be held in two phases on April 10 and 17.
The forces would be deployed in the Maoist-infested areas during the first phase of elections, according to office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
The CEO office sources here said the Union Government had already allowed sending of 60 companies of the central forces in addition to the already deployed forces in combating the Maoists. In the first phase, 50 companies of security forces would reach the State and later 10 more companies from Andhra Pradesh would join the fleet.
The central forces include the security personnel from CRPF, BSF and ITBF. The Union Home Ministry, considering the request of the State DG Police and the CEO, also decided to provide 232 satellite phones to the State during the elections to be used in the remote and inaccessible areas during the first phase of polls.
Sources said that as per the security plan to help conduct smooth and peaceful elections, it was decided to deploy the personnel of the Jharkhand State Armed police in certain sensitive areas as well.
The security forces would remain in the State from the polling date till the counting was over. But 18 companies of the central paramilitary forces would be sent to Madhya Pradesh after the elections in the first phase were over on April 10 next, it said.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has announced compensation amount for polling officials in the event of death or disability during the election duty. The kin of a polling official would be given Rs 10 lakh in case of death and Rs 5 lakh for permanent disability.
But the compensation amount would be doubled if death or the disability occurred due to violence committed by the Maoists, sources said.