An elaborate security blanket has been thrown across regions coming under seven lok Sabha constituencies of Chhattisgarh going for the third and final phase of polls on Thursday.
The constituencies of Raipur, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Raigarh, Surguja and Durg will go to polls in the third phase with 153 candidates in the fray. DGP AN Upadhyay who reviewed security arrangements in several lok Sabha constituencies on Wednesday told reporters after returning to Raipur that elaborate security arrangements had been made for the last phase of polls in Chhattisgarh .
‘Every precaution is being taken in Chhattisgarh’s border with Odisha and Jharkhand States’, Additional Director General of Police (Naxal operations) RK Vij informed The Pioneer over phone.
He said that since polling will not take place in Jharkhand and Odisha on Thursday, Joint anti-Naxal operations are being carried out in co-ordination with the police force of both states in areas bordering Chhattisgarh.
Vij further informed that in the view of Naxals targetting polling parties during the first phase of lok Sabha polls in Bastar on April 10, fresh directives have been issued and measures taken for providing better security cover to polling teams in all the districts coming under the seven lok Sabha constituencies.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements had been made in Jashpur and Balrampur region which were once Maoist hot-beds. The move had been prompted , after, a few months back, the police had once again found rebel activity in Jashpur and Balrampur regions.