Tuesday, 05 MARCH 2024 | PURNIMA BISHT | DEHRADUN
Uttarakhand police are gearing up for a challenging summer season ahead with ensuing Lok Sabha elections and Char Dham Yatra. The Char Dham Yatra which witnessed over 52 lakh pilgrims arriving in the State last year will commence in April-May and the elections are also expected to be held in the near future. The number of tourists also increases in the State with the onset of summer. All these factors will bring more challenges for the police in terms of maintaining law and order while ensuring strict safety and security arrangements across the State. The police usually deploy about 15,000 to 20,000 personnel during Char Dham Yatra as per the requirement. Considering this, Lok Sabha elections appear to be challenging for the police. However, the inspector general of police and spokesman of Uttarakhand police headquarter Nilesh Anand Bharne said that the State police are all prepared to carry out all duties smoothly during Char Dham Yatra and the elections. He informed that the State police have received 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) from the Central government for the Lok Sabha elections. These companies have been deployed to various districts from March 1 as part of the pre-poll deployment in sensitive and hyper- sensitive constituencies and border areas. He said that the State police had sought 115 CAPF companies that include over 10,000 personnel. The Centre sent 20 companies for pre-poll security arrangements in vulnerable areas. He said that three companies each have been issued to the three biggest plain districts and one company each has been deployed in mountainous districts to ensure security, law and order during elections. The remaining have been deployed for border security purposes. Bharne said that though they had asked for 115 companies, they have received no official confirmation on whether the Centre will sanction the CAPF companies as per their demand. However, the Centre will send the force one week before the scheduled date of elections. He said, “The police have sufficient personnel and forces in the State to ensure smooth conduct of the Char Dham Yatra. We manage pilgrims and tourists every year so it will not be an issue this year too. The Centre will also send more CAPF companies before the elections that will help the police to conduct its duties.”
