Elaborate security measures have been put in place to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of elections, as four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies in Odisha gear up for the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on May 13.
According to DGP Arun Sarangi, a comprehensive deployment of security personnel is planned, with 17,000 platoon police forces, 104 Paramilitary Forces companies, 66 platoons of SAP, and 600 mobile squads to be stationed across various polling booths. The movements of these squads will be monitored via GPS tracking systems from district control rooms.
In preparation for the election, stringent checks have been implemented in border areas across nine districts, with borders sealed and 51 inter-state border check posts established. CCTV cameras have been installed at these posts, with their feeds linked to district control rooms. Additionally, 50 inter-district check posts have been set up to monitor vehicular movements. Helicopters and air ambulances are on standby, with one polling team already airlifted to a booth within the Sunabeda Sanctuary.
To enforce election guidelines, 210 flying squads have been formed to address violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and other complaints, while 195 static surveillance teams are tasked with scrutinizing vehicles and individuals. Measures to detect and prevent bogus voting are also in place, with officials from various departments joining the flying squads and surveillance teams.
For the secure storage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), 15 strong rooms have been established across the nine districts. Paramilitary Forces will provide inner security layers for these rooms, while State Police will cover the outer layers. Each strong room will be guarded by one platoon of Paramilitary force and one platoon of State Armed Police.
Given that certain districts, including Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Kalahandi, are affected by Maoist activity, extensive preparations have been made to ensure smooth polling. Over the past four months, operations have intensified, with 539 anti-Naxal operations conducted in these districts. Additionally, 138 operation parties of CRPF and BSF jawans, along with 37 SOG and DVF parties, have been deployed to bolster security during the election period.