57,000 security personnel for Delhi civic polls

Delhi Police on Friday said it has made elaborate security arrangements, deploying 57,000 personnel, including paramilitary forces, for Sunday's polls to the three municipal corporations.

"This time we have made adequate security arrangements for the three municipal bodies - the NDMC, the SDMC and the EDMC - polls as this election is important for Delhi. A total of 13,022 booths have been set up in 770 premises. They are categorized into sensitive and hypersensitive," Special Commissioner of Police, Dependra Pathak, said.

Pathak said 3,294 booths were categorised as sensitive and 1,464 as hyper-sensitive, while in the premises 573 were sensitive and 197 hyper sensitive.

"The sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths and premises were made on guidelines to the police after consultation with the Election Commission (EC) and the government on five to 10 parameters, which includes number of cases, demographic situation if any, the kind of population of area and previous election experiences. All the preparedness has been done very professionally by Delhi Police," Pathak said.

He said Delhi Police has deployed 57,000 specific forces, including 40 companies of paramilitary forces, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), 20,000 Home Guards along with various Delhi Police local units which will be deployed in their jurisdiction and areas.

The Delhi Police has also conducted meetings with Returning Officers and candidates and focused on policing activity such as Defacement of Public Property Act and Excise Act before the election day, the Special Commissioner said.

He said that Delhi Police would also seal the borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh areas as a precaution.

"There are 34 vote counting centres which will be covered with adequate security ring from polling day till April 26, the election result day," he added.

He said Delhi Police has seized 1,93,000 liquor bottles and registered 267 FIRs and arrested 264 people so far.

--IANS

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