A day before the first phase of panchayat polling, the district election officer claimed to have completed all the preparations for this election on Tuesday. Security has been beefed up and with the deployment of adequate police force at each polling booth.
The first phase of panchayat polling in the district will be completed peacefully. “A total of 263 polling parties consisting of presiding officers, polling officers and police force departed on Tuesday for Chakrata and Vikasnagar blocks in Dehradun district where panchayat election will be held on Wednesday,” said Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Rautela on Tuesday.
Additional district magistrate (Finance and Revenue) and election officer in-charge (Personnel) Pratap Singh Shah said that all the polling parties were given election materials before they departed for their assigned polling booths. A total of 372 polling parties departed for polling centres in Chakrata and Vikasnagar on Monday and Tuesday. The polling will begin from 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.
The SSP said that the polling will be held at 167 polling centres in Chakrata and 205 in Vikasnagar on Wednesday. The polling area of Vikasnagar block has been divided into three zones and 12 sectors. In Chakrata, 45 polling centres have been identified as sensitive and 15 as ultra sensitive. The polling area of Chakrata block has been divided into two zones and 16 sectors. Adequate police force has been deputed on Panchayat election duty and with the deployment of sufficient police personnel at each polling booth, the polling in panchayat election is expected to be held peacefully in the district. One sub-inspector along with two Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel will be deployed at polling booths identified as ultra sensitive.
Two PAC personnel will be deployed at sensitive polling booths. One constable and one Home Guard or PRD jawan will be deployed at each polling booth in the district. In Vikasnagar, 29 polling booths have been identified as sensitive and 18 as ultra sensitive. Two circle officers- SK Singh and Harbans Singh, seven inspectors, 163 sub inspectors, 75 head constables, 72 constables, 521 home guards, 57 PRD jawans and four companies of PAC will be deployed for first phase of Panchayat election in Chakrata and Vikasnagar on Wednesday, the SSP added.