Bhubaneswar: Tomorrow marks the third phase of the simultaneous elections in Odisha. The voting will be held in six parliamentary constituencies and 42 assembly segments in the State.
In this context, the Odisha Police has made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the electoral process.
In a press conference, DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi has assured the preparedness of the state police for a free and fair poll process.
The DGP informed that a total of 35,000 State police and Paramilitary security personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order during the third phase of the polling process.
The six parliamentary constituencies and 42 assembly constituencies in 12 police districts of Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Cuttack UPD, Nayagarh, Puri, Khordha and Bhubaneswar UPD are going to poll tomorrow.
The voting will be held in 10, 551 booths across 7,646 locations among which around 20 per cent of booths are reportedly sensitive booths.
The DGP said that 121 companies of Paramilitary Forces, 106 platoons of Odisha Armed Police and 19,865 civil police forces have been deployed for the smooth and peaceful conduct of elections.
As many as 43 Additional SPs, 95 DSPs, 238 inspectors, 2160 SIs, 10, 212 armed and unarmed Constables and Havildars, 7,117 Home Guards and Grama Rakhis will be deployed for this purpose, Sarangi stated.
The DGP further said that an additional 20 companies of CAPF have been sent to the State.
“We had provided 1200 Home Guards to Chhattisgarh in the first phase of National Elections and in return, they have provided us 300 constables and 700 constables who will be on election duty in Odisha on May 25,” he added.
Five young IPS Officers of ASP rank have been mobilized for Sambalpur, Khorda, Keonjhar and Cuttack. As many as 42 Assembly Supervising Officers in the rank of Addl. SP with striking force have been deployed. 84 DSP will supervise the law and order (two for each assembly segment) with striking force, the DGP said.