Newly recruited members of the Tamil Nadu Special Police Youth Brigade (TNSPYB) are proposed to be utilised for poll duty by the police for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, said police sources.
The youth brigade members are currently undergoing basic trainingthat include law, driving, and handling wireless equipment. The four-week long training that commenced last month is scheduled to get over on March 11.
The brigade have been recruited essentially to assist the police department in various activities so as to utilise police force in their primary tasks of maintenance of law and order and carrying out investigations.
The strength of youth brigade members has been compiled along with that of non-police personnel such as ex-servicemen, personnel of Fire and Rescue Services, Home Guards and Forest Department for the election duty.
Around 300 youth brigade members are in Tiruchi district and those attached with the Tiruchi city police. Sources said that consequent to a recent directive from the State police headquarters; district and city police headquarters from Tiruchi, Pudukottai and Perambalur have furnished complete details of police strength that could be made available during elections.
The figure has been arrived at after deducting personnel required for essential duties as per norms. The State police headquarters has spelt out directive for deployment of strength for critical and non-critical polling booths, flying squads, static surveillance teams, counting centres, pickets and strong rooms in which electronic voting machines are to be deposited. The Tiruchi Range encompasses three Parliamentary constituencies – Tiruchi, Perambalur and Karur - with 22 assembly segments falling under them. The number of polling stations identified by the police in the three constituencies is a little over 5,000.
