DEC reviews security arrangement in Tripura election

Agartala, Feb 20 (UNI) The security arrangement in South and West Tripura districts has been reviewed by Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) R Balakrishnan in view of the state Assembly election slated for February 23.

Mr Balakrishnan, who is on his two-day visit to the districts, yesterday attended meetings with District Election Officer(DROs), Observers and Company Commanders deployed in two districts and issued direction for security arrangement on the poll day.

He will today hold meetings with DROs, Observers and Commanders of central paramilitary forces of North and Dhalai districts and to give the final touch of poll preparation in the state.

Official sources said he briefed the company commanders of central paramilitary forces about their responsibility on the polling day and finalised the list of very vulnerable polling booths of the state as well as police force deployment strategies.

DEC has already made it clear that the central paramilitary forces would be deployed in all polling stations to ensure free and fair elections while all very vulnerable and vulnerable polling booths would be guarded by the central paramilitary personnel only.

However, state police forces, including jawans of Tripura State Rifles(TSR) would be deployed in normal polling booths as per the instruction of the observers along with central forces, Mr Balakrishnan said adding that the state owned forces would be engaged in maintaining law and order during the elections.

Altogether, 200 companies of Central paramilitary forces, including ITBP, CRPF and BSF have already arrived here for election duties and deployed in all the towns as part of confidence building measures.

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