Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 12: The security apparatus will face litmus test tomorrow as most volatile areas are going to polls Saturday.
The ongoing 4-phase municipal polls began on October 8. So far two phases have been completed while the elections of rest two phases will be held on October 13, and 16.
The security agencies have been able to ensure peaceful first two phases of urban local bodies elections. There have been threats by militants and separatists groups threatening people not to vote. However, there has been no untoward incident happened in the first two phases.
While the third phase polls will be held on Saturday. Interestingly, the polls will be held in most of the volatile areas of Kashmir valley.
"It will be a challenge to ensure peaceful polls in third phase as these are the areas where militants have some presence," a police official said. However, the official said that elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the polls.
A large contingent of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in these areas to thwart any untoward incident.
Searching of vehicles and frisking of the passengers has been intensified in and around Srinagar city. "Every possible step is being taken to maintain law and order," the police official said.
"The monitoring of the city has also been increased through CCTVs and police in civvies'," he said.
The security measures also include the use of sniffer dogs by forces to check vehicles and pedestrians.
On Saturday, areas of downtown like Khanqah-i-Moulla, Mahrajganj, Jamia Masjid, Makhdoom Sahib, Khwaja Bazar, Aaqilmeer, Rouzabal, Doulatabad, Islam Yaarbal, Nawa Kadal, Nawa Bazar, Safa Kadal, Rathpora, Eidgah, Palpora, and Tarabal are going for polls. In south Kashmir, where the militants have most presence, polls are being held in Tral, Awantipora, Mattan, Pahalgam, Ashmuqam and Seer Hamdan. In the uptown city, the polling in the third phase is scheduled to take place at municipal wards: Lal Chowk, Rajbagh, Ikhrajpora, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Chanapora, Badshah Nagar, Barzulla, Rawalpora, Hyderpora and Humhama. A police official said that adequate security will be put in place considering the sensitivity of the wards going for polls in third phase of municipal polls.
"The deployment like the previous phases will be more in synergy with CRPF," he added. |
