May 24th 2024.
The state of Bhubaneswar is gearing up for the third phase of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, which will take place on May 25. The authorities have announced that a total of 35,000 security personnel, including 121 companies of central armed police force and 106 platoons of Odisha armed police, along with 19,865 civil police personnel, will be deployed for the smooth conduct of the elections.
This phase will cover six parliamentary constituencies - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri, and Sambalpur - and 42 Assembly seats. It is also noteworthy that these elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha, adding to the complexity of the task at hand.
The voting process will take place across 10 districts of Odisha, with a total of 10,551 polling booths set up in 7,646 locations. In order to maintain law and order during the elections, special measures have been taken. Approximately 20% of the polling booths have been identified as sensitive or critical, and half of the central armed police force will be stationed at these locations, according to the Director-General of Police, Arun Sarangi.
The authorities have also mobilized five IPS officers of ASP rank and 42 Assembly Supervising Officers, along with 84 DSPs, 231 sector officers, and 763 mobile, 331 flying squad, and 343 static surveillance teams to monitor the situation and ensure that the elections are conducted smoothly.
In addition, 17 inter-state border check posts and 116 intra-state border check posts have been set up to prevent the illegal flow of cash, arms, liquor, and other substances. The EVM strong rooms at 25 locations are under constant surveillance by the central armed police force and the state armed police in a 2-tiered security system.
To ensure fair play during the elections, the Election Commission has appointed one police observer for each parliament constituency, along with special police observers for the state. The police have been working diligently since January 1, executing 34,403 warrants and arresting over 1,000 individuals who were declared proclaimed offenders.
In their efforts to maintain law and order, the Odisha Police have also seized 254 illegal arms and dismantled three illegal arms manufacturing units. Since the enforcement of the model code of conduct, they have seized items worth a total of Rs 89.3 crore. They have also been keeping a close eye on social media, with 145 related complaints and 394 removed contents so far. One person has been arrested, and 843 social media handles are currently under surveillance.
The state is taking all necessary measures to ensure a fair and peaceful election process, and with the support of the security personnel, the authorities are confident that the third phase of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be conducted successfully.
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