Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the police for the first phase of polling for the local body elections on Monday in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri district.
Over 3,500 personnel are to be deployed on various election-related duties in these districts. There was lukewarm response from ex-servicemen for election duty, in reply to the call given by the district police.
Of the required 221 ex-servicemen, only 150 turned up for selection at the District Police Office in Dharmapuri on Saturday. All those who had assembled were given duty orders. The rest were drawn from Krishnagiri.
In the district, over 900 ex-servicemen came for selection at the District Police Office on Saturday, of which 180 was given orders. As many as 1,565 personnel, including a battalion of Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) from Pochampalli, 170 Home Guards, and 250 NSS volunteers would be deployed.
Polling will be held in 1,088 booths in Hosur Municipality, Kaveripattinam and Nagojanahalli Town Panchayats and five Panchayat Unions in the district. Of this, 240 were identified as sensitive booths. Fifteen Rapid Action Force, headed by an Inspector, has been kept ready to face any eventuality. In case of an emergency, the RAF team will reach the problematic area in no time. Every booth will be manned by a policeman, and those centres with more than one polling booth will be manned by Ex-Servicemen and Home Guards.
In Dharmapuri district, over 2,000 personnel from Police, TSP, a battalion of Kerala Police, Ex-servicemen, Fire and Rescue Service, and Forest Department would be deployed during the first phase of polling to be held in 997 polling booths. Eighty nine of these booths have been identified as sensitive. The number of sensitive booths across the district was 147.
Mock drill
A mock drill on how to face untoward incidents was conducted at the grounds of the District Police Office in Dharmapuri on Saturday.
About 30 Armed Reserve Policemen took part in the mock exercise. They were also given a drill on dismantling and assembling of modern rifles and guns used by the police, sources said.
