Punjab police ready to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls: DGP

Chandigarh, Mar 17   A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the general elections, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Sunday said his force is fully geared up to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in the border state.
Yadav and Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla virtually briefed all senior police officers from the headquarters and also took stock of the security arrangements ahead of the polls.
Pertinently, with the announcement of the election dates the model code of conduct has come into force. Polling for the general elections in Punjab will be held in the last phase of polls on June 1.
Yadav directed the officers to strictly adhere to all aspects of the Model Code of Conduct and follow all the instructions and guidelines from the ECI for holding free and fair elections.
He said a special campaign has been launched to arrest proclaimed offenders and parole jumpers and execute non-bailable warrants (NBWs). SSPs and CPs have also been asked to ensure surveillance over people indulging in selling of illicit liquor and narcotics and psychotropic substances, he added.
He also directed the CPs, SSPs to ensure the deposition of weapons in compliance with the ECI norms.
Shukla said security has been beefed up across the state and field officers have been asked to carry out audit of police force and muster 75 per cent of the police force for deployment during elections. All the CPs, SSPs have already been asked to keep vigil around the anti-social elements and carry out flag marches in their jurisdictions to build confidence among the general public, he added.
He said checking at Inter-state borders has been intensified to check the movement of criminals, bootleggers and drug smugglers. Twenty five companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in vulnerable districts of the state to instil confidence among the general public as well as to dominate sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas in the state, he added.
The 25 companies include 5 companies of Central Reserved Police Forces (CRPF), 15 companies of Border Security Force (BSF) and 5 companies of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).