Even as the dates for the Lok Sabha elections are yet to be announced, the police have begun their spade work. Election control cells have been put in place in Tiruchi, Perambalur, and Pudukottai districts and are working in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Election Commission (EC).
A senior police officer in the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police will be the nodal officer for each election control cell which would function under the direct supervision of the respective unit officer — Superintendent of Police in the case of district and Commissioner of Police in the case of city.
The election cells would be entrusted with multi-tasks that include collection of information, passing on correspondence received from the police headquarters and the Election Commission from time to time, compiling the number of polling booths and those identified as sensitive and vulnerable, preparation of detailed security plan, mobilisation of manpower, and their deployment besides ensuring the strict enforcement of the model code of conduct.
Each cell functioning in the respective district would be provided with necessary logistic support such as walkie-talkie sets and vehicles.
Alongside constituting election control cells, the authorities are shuffling field-level police officers and men in Tiruchi, Perambalur and Pudukottai districts based on the EC guidelines.
Field-level personnel in the rank of inspectors, sub-inspectors and constables who had completed three years in the same station or sub division have been transferred, police sources told The Hindu .
A mass shuffling has already been done in Pudukottai district where around 400 sub-inspectors and constables have been moved out from their present work place.
Constables have been moved out from their native police station to other station, while sub-inspectors have been transferred from the native sub division to another.
In the case of Inspectors, they have been transferred from one district to another.
Officers and men serving in the District Special Branch, Intelligence Section, and other units such as training and technical services were exempted from the transfer guidelines, say the sources.
Officers due to retire in the coming six months were exempted from transfer.
The Tiruchi Police Range consists of three Parliamentary constituencies – Tiruchi, Perambalur and Karur.
