With the deployment of adequate police force at each polling booth, three-tier Panchayat elections will be conducted peacefully in the State. “Out of 10,270 polling booths, 1,305 have been identified as ultra sensitive and 2, 021 as sensitive in the State,” said State Additional Director General of Police (law and Order) Ram Singh Meena on Thursday.
“The panchayat elections are contested on the local issues and during the election, some people form groups at panchayat level which results in possibility of clashes among them. In view of this, the district police heads have been directed to take all possible measures to ensure free and fair Panchayat election,” he added.
The police officers have been directed to deploy additional force including PAC jawans at sensitive and ultra sensitive polling booths in the State.
The polling of panchayat election will be held in three phases on June 18, 21 and 24 in around 7,500 villages of 12 districts of the State. In Haridwar district, the polling for panchayat will be held later on.
Meena said that as per the reports received from the districts, 262 polling booths have been identified as ultra sensitive and 226 as sensitive in Dehradun district. There are 71 ultra sensitive and 179 sensitive polling booths in Pauri district, 81 ultra sensitive and 261 sensitive in Tehri, 71 ultra sensitive and 101 sensitive in Chamoli, 27 ultra sensitive and 150 sensitive in Rudraprayag, 116 ultra sensitive and 162 sensitive in Uttarkashi, 259 ultra sensitive and 263 sensitive in Udham Singh Nagar, 119 ultra sensitive and 192 sensitive in Nainital, 110 ultra sensitive and 42 sensitive in Pithoragarh, 125 ultra sensitive and 318 sensitive in Almora, 28 ultra sensitive and 86 sensitive in Champawat and 32 ultra sensitive and 51 sensitive polling booths in Bageshwar.
Moreover, Dehradun SSP Ajay Rautela said that though sensitivity of polling booths varies from time to time, police force will be deployed adequately at each polling booth depending on its sensitivity level. The polling would be held in the first phase on June 18 in the Chakrata and Vikasnagar blocks in the district; in the second phase on June 21 at Kalsi and Sahaspur blocks and in the third phase on June 24 in Doiwala
and Raipur blocks of Dehradun district.
Considering the possibility of altercations during the Panchayat polls, police officers have also been directed to keep a watch on trouble makers and take necessary action as per the law. They have been directed to conduct meetings with eminent citizens seeking their cooperation and support in maintaining law and order, he added.
"Security has been beefed up and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the elections are held peacefully in the district," Rautela added.