A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates of the poll for the General Elections 2024, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Sunday said that Punjab Police is fully geared up to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections in the border state.
The DGP accompanied by Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla was virtually briefing all the senior Police officers from headquarters, Range ADGsP/IGsP/DIGs, and CPs/SSPs to take stock of the security arrangements in the state ahead of the General elections.
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.
DGP Gaurav Yadav directed all the officers to strictly adhere to all aspects of the Model Code of Conduct and follow all the instructions and guidelines from the Election Commission of India for holding free and fair elections.
He said that a special campaign has been launched to arrest Proclaimed Offenders (POs) and Parole Jumpers and for execution of non-bailable warrants (NBWs). SSPs and CPs have also been asked to ensure surveillance over people indulging in the selling of illicit liquor and narcotics and psychotropic substances, he added.
The DGP also directed the CPs/SSPs to ensure the deposition of weapons in compliance with the ECI norms.
Sharing more details, Spl DGP Arpit Shukla said that security has been beefed up across the state, and field officers have been asked to carry out audit of police force and muster 75% 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 that the checking at Inter-state borders has been intensified to check the movement of criminals, bootleggers and drug smugglers. The 25 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 five coys of Central Reserved Police Forces (CRPF), 15 coys of Border Security Force (BSF), and five coys of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Meanwhile, the Spl DGP said that all the Police officers have also been circulated the guidelines issued by ECI.