Shoot at sight order to scare away booth grabbers

Patna, Nov 5 (UNI) The Bihar government today sounded alert in poll bound areas and issued shoot-and-sight order to scare away possible booth grabbers as the by-elections to Nalanda and Bhagalpur parliament constituencies will be held tomorrow, official sources said today.

All security forces deployed for poll duty were also put on alert to face any eventuality to ensure fair and peacefull polling in the two parliamentary constituencies.

State Home secreatry Afzal Amanullah told UNI that elaborate security arrangements had been made for polling at 3,062 booths in Nalanda and Bhagalpur. '' Even after the tight security arrangements, if any incident of tampering the Electronic Voting Machine(EVM) takes place, presiding officers and security forces deputed at polling stations would be held responsible,'' he warned.

About 60 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces (CMPF) and 30 companies of Bihar Military Police(BMP) were deployed to ensure fair voting. Besides CMPF and BMP, altogether 13,600 jawans of district armed police would be deputed during the polling, he added.

Mr Amanullah said that mounted police would also be deployed in riverine areas of Bhagalpur while strict vigil would be maintained along the river side to check the movements of Naxalites and criminals. ''Aerial survey would be maintained to keep a watch on movements of criminal elements in Nalanda parliamentary constituency,'' he informed.

''Arrangements have been made for video recording and digital photography at all the booths to foil the attempt of tampering the poll process by unscrupulous elements,'' the home secretary said.

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