VDC members being mobilised ahead of J&K panchayat polls

All Village Defence Committee (VDC) members are being mobilised in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district to help maintain law and order during the upcoming panchayat polls, police said on Thursday.

They are being mobilised in their areas of jurisdiction on the directions of senior superintendent of police, Reasi, Nisha Nathyal, a police official said.

The nine-phased panchayat elections will start from November 17.

Additional superintendent of police, Reasi, Shiv Kumar Chouhan, undertook an extensive tour of Pouni area on Thursday and held a meeting with over 85 VDC members at the local police station, the official said.

"All VDC members have been directed to remain extra vigilant during the polling days and also keep track of activities to thwart the nefarious designs of the anti-social elements," he said.

They were called with the arms and ammunition issued to them by the district police and it was verified and thoroughly checked by the technical team from the district police lines.

Jammu region has over 1,000 VDC members.

The VDCs were constituted in the mid-90s with an aim to strengthen the security of the remote and mountainous areas in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramba, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathua and Poonch districts of the region.