SHILLONG, JAN 17: The Centre has sanctioned 90 additional companies of paramilitary forces for ensuring peaceful conduct of the upcoming Assembly elections, to be held next month in the state.
“We are getting 90 additional companies which include from the central armed police force (CAPF) out of 107 proposed by the state for the upcoming elections,” state police chief SB Singh told reporters here on Wednesday.
According to him, this is in addition to the already existing 18 companies deployed in the different districts of the state mainly for maintaining of law and order.
The Director General of Police (DGP) however informed that the 10 existing companies will also be made available to state for election duty fromJanuary 31.
“They will be deployed in the Eastern and Western range of the state for strengthening of the security,” he said.
Stating that deployment of paramilitary forces will be in a balanced way, Singh however said that concentration will be slightly on East Garo Hills District and South Garo Hills District due to militancy related problems.
Although the strength of once dreaded banned terrorist outfit, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) is depleting, he said, “But still we will be keeping an eye, we will be vigilant as our concern is to ensure peaceful elections in the state.”
Recalling that the GNLA was at its height, about three to four years ago, until many of its cadres surrendered and killed, Singh said, “It has been a constant fight and we have to keep that pressure as we cannot allow them to come back.”
The state police chief however said that equal attention will also be given in all the places including in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region of the state.
Informing that the vulnerability mapping has been done ahead of the elections, Singh said that this is based on various parameters which include earlier experiences, international and inter-state borders and others.
Asked, Singh said that there have been no inputs on attempt by any groups to disrupt the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.
By Our Reporter
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