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According to a senior police officer who has been in charge of security arrangements in J&K, various government buildings, schools and other facilities have been identified for the troops. (Image source: PTI)
Over the past 48 hours, security forces as well as Jammu and Kashmir Police successfully initiated and executed operations.
Security forces and agencies have started sanitizing the area and are looking for strategic locations to accommodate more troops to ensure safe elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources told News18 that the special forces will be deployed in highly sensitive areas and the deployment is underway in view of the threat from terrorist groups.
According to a senior police officer who has been in charge of security arrangements in J&K, various government buildings, schools and other facilities have been identified for the troops. Meanwhile, troops who have arrived at their respective locations have begun familiarizing themselves with the areas and preparations ahead of the polls.
Importantly, a senior official claimed that more intelligence officers have been deployed to gather information from the ground. Security forces as well as Jammu and Kashmir Police have successfully taken action and executed operations in the last 48 hours.
Senior officials have been asked to plan trips to the border and remain vigilant in border areas due to the possibility of new hideouts and infiltrations. They have been directed to visit the areas frequently and coordinate with the BSF. The local police also sought assistance from different communities and asked the village defense committee to monitor any suspicious persons. A senior police officer said a single point of contact has been provided to assist locals. If any suspicious activity occurs, they can contact these contacts directly.
Troop deployment will be organized so that it can reach any area within a very limited time during electoral deployment. To ensure the safety of polling stations, the troops will disinfect all polling stations in highly sensitive areas before voting and deploy troops there. All booths in these areas will have CAPF booths. The special forces will be deployed in highly sensitive areas, covering multiple locations and responsible for operations. Additionally, EVM machines will have an extra layer of security.
The Home Ministry has directed the forces to retain the over 500 companies currently deployed during the Amarnath Yatra for “early deployment”. This means that more than 50,000 Central Armed Police Force personnel already stationed in Johnson & Johnson will be deployed to participate in the election. More troops will be deployed later, including to provide protection for candidates. The deployment will be part of pre-election preparations focusing on area control and familiarization.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases over 14 days, almost half of the state's 2014 election schedule or the Lok Sabha elections a few months ago. The elections in J&K will be held in three phases, namely September 18, September 25 and October 1, and the results will be announced on October 4. Day is 17 days.
