The Jharkhand Police has identified Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) as the deadliest tool as its forces are out for conducting first phase of panchayat polls. Security personnel leaving on poll duty have been issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) keeping in mind the threats of the explosive feared to be deployed by the Maoists in large numbers.
Informing about the threat perception, top officials at the police headquarter said that the department has specific inputs indicating about uses of IEDs to target moving security persons.
“We have got information that in the areas where naxal presence is quite significant IEDs can be planted to obstruct the movement of security forces. We have issued SOPs to the forces deployed on the election duty ahead of their departure. This includes restricted movement in such areas, lesser uses of heavy motor vehicles and to depend on the safety equipments provided to them,” SN Pradhan, Additional Director General of Police (Operations) told The Pioneer on Friday.
The instructions have come following series of recoveries made recently at lohardaga and some other parts of the State in the run-up to the rural polls. Also, ambushes on security persons have taken place during lok Sabha elections last year.
First phase of the three-tier panchayat election is scheduled to take place on Sunday. This would also include some of heavily Naxal-infested districts that the Department has pointed out in the form of Garhwa, Palamu, latehar, Gumla, Giridih, Chatra etc. The inaugural round of election is spread in all the 24 districts covering as many as 78 blocks. The Highest five blocks each are located in Palamu and Garhwa districts known as den of the proscribed organisations.
“We have large number of blocks which can be termed largely as Naxal hotbeds. As we are far ahead of them in terms of face-to-face combat, IEDs are the real worry for us. It is likely that large number of bridges and culverts can be used to target the security forces on move. We have directed the personnel to take different routes while crossing bridges and move by foot or on lighter vehicles as much as possible,” added the official.
This apart, the security forces have been equipped sufficiently with anti-landmine vehicles and IED sensors both to avoid and protect from any such mishap taking place in the field. Over 60,000 forces comprising of Jharkhand Police, CRPF, SAP and Home Guard have been pressed into action for peaceful conduct of polls during the first phase. On its part, the State Election Commission has also completed necessary formalities for the election.
“Polling parties have been dispatched today itself as many areas are interior and Naxal infested. They would reach to their specified blocks on Saturday and move to clusters mostly on foot or by motorcycles keeping security reasons in mind,” said Moinuddin Khan, Additional Secretary in the Commission. He at the same time expressed satisfaction over security preparedness and deployment of forces done by the police authorities.