Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Punjab police implements comprehensive measures for transparent and peaceful elections

PTC News Desk: In anticipation of the State of Punjab holding its 7th and last phase of the General Parliamentary Elections 2024 on Saturday, Punjab Police has organised extensive security measures to guarantee a seamless polling process and high voter turnout.

Director General of Police (DGP) for Punjab Gaurav Yadav stated here on Friday that “all the necessary security arrangements have been made and a total of 81,079 Personnel including Central Armed Police Forces, Punjab Police, and Home Guard Jawans from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan have been deployed effectively in all the districts of Punjab to ensure free, fair, and peaceful conduct of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.”

According to the data, 14,551 voting station sites have up to 24,451 polling stations built. According to the data, 24,451 polling places have been set up at 14,551 polling places around the state, of which 5000 have been designated as Critical/Vulnerable Polling Places. For Punjab’s 13 parliamentary constituencies, 328 candidates are running.

DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that in order to guarantee that voters will exercise their right to vote in a seamless and trouble-free manner, more than half of the force, or 47,284 personnel, including CAPF/SAP, have been stationed at 24,451 polling places. 

He said that all of the candidates running in Punjab’s thirteen parliamentary seats had received sufficient protection in accordance with the established guidelines. According to the DGP, up to 351 Flying Squad Teams, 351 Static Surveillance Teams, and 348 Quick Reaction Teams are also alert and ready to react to any information about money, alcohol, drugs, or any other unfavorable situation in the state.

In order to prevent the movement of drug smugglers, bootleggers, and anti-social elements, the Punjab Police has already deployed 205 well-coordinated, powerful Inter-state Nakas around the state, according to Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla. 

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He said that mirror Nakas would also be installed on all entry and departure points leading to Punjab State by the neighbouring states, which include Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh.

Sharing more details, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-cum-State Police Nodal Officer, Elections, Punjab MF Farooqui said that the Punjab Police has made unprecedented recoveries since the inception of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on March 16, 2024 and has recovered/seized huge amount of unaccounted cash, licit/illicit liquor, drugs, precious metals, etc worth Rs 642.24 crores including Rs 13.14 crores cash. 

According to him, 398350 legal firearms—or more than 95% of all licensed firearms in the state—have been deposited in total.The Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Punjab has received 405 complaints, all of which have been addressed within the allotted time. 

According to him, 32 charges pertaining to electoral offenses were filed during the MCC, and 405 complaints from the Punjabi Chief Electoral Officer’s office were addressed within the allotted period. In addition, he said, all districts have access to 193 Reserves and the DGP Punjab’s reserves for striking in the event of an emergency.

The state has been divided into 2098 Route Zones or Sectors, which are duly covered by strong Police Patrolling parties, according to the ADGP. For better coordination, at least 11881 wireless sets have been provided to all the districts, covering 102 shadow areas that have been identified in eight districts.

He said that the internet-enabled tablets given to these patrolling parties enable authorities to locate the patrolling party closest to an incident site for the fastest possible reaction.In the meantime, the state of Punjab has constructed 117 storage/counting centers, all of which are adequately guarded by three tiers of security, consisting of District Police, SAP, and CAPF, till the counting is completed.

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