Three-tier security for GHMC ballot boxes strong room
Each strong room was sealed in the presence of a video record as per the orders of the State Election Commissioner.
Updated On - 3 December 2020, 12:48 AM
Hyderabad: The 15 counting centres including one in Cyberabad for the GHMC elections will have a three-tier security arrangement with the City Reserve Police Force, City Armed Reserve Police and City Civil Police personnel guarding the centres. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar along with nodal officers, GHMC officials, senior police officers and others inspected the counting centres here on Wednesday. While 14 counting centres have been set up in Hyderabad, one is in Sanathnagar under the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.
“An Assistant Commissioner of Police level officer will be on duty at each centre round the clock and one Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police level officer has been appointed for every three counting centres,” Anjani Kumar said. Each strong room was sealed in the presence of a video record as per the orders of the State Election Commissioner. Upto 200 metres around the strong room, nobody will be permitted to assemble, he added.
Thanking the citizens and political parties for the smooth conduction of the GHMC polls, the Commissioner said a police outpost, a control room, and a small media point would also be set up at each counting centre. Each ballot box from the strong room will be moved to the counting table in the presence of a police escort, he said, appealing to political parties not to take out victory rallies for 48 hours after the results.
Anjani Kumar also said necessary arrangements were being made for re-polling in Old Malakpet on Thursday, while there would be traffic diversions in the surrounding of the counting centres on Friday.
5,000 police personnel on bandobast duties
Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat visited the counting centres set up at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Neredmet, Chaitanya School in Nacharam and the Polytechnic Institute in Ramanthpur and reviewed security arrangements on Wednesday. The ballot boxes with votes from 17 GHMC wards are kept in these counting centres.
“A total of 5,000 police personnel will be on bandobast duties to avert any post-poll untoward incident. Three-tier security has been provided to all counting centres apart from surveillance cameras being installed for strict vigilance,” Bhagwat said. Assembling in groups in the Commissionerate and in a 1 km radius of the counting centres has been prohibited, while the police have also prohibited victory rallies of parties on counting day.
Section 144 around counting centre
Cyberabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar accompanied by senior officers inspected the storage of ballot boxes used for the GHMC polls, at Sanathnagar DRCC centre here on Wednesday.
The ballot boxes of four wards – Somajiguda, Ameerpet, Sanathnagar and Khairatabad have been stored in the strong rooms set up at GHMC multi-sports complex DRCC centre at Sanathnagar. Sajjanar instructed the personnel posted to guard the storage to ensure the safety and security of the strong rooms.
Three-tier security arrangements have been made for the security of ballot boxes at strong rooms. In the first-tier, patrolling teams are posted, the second-tier has barricades secured by Cyberabad Law and Order and Civil Police while the third tier has TSSP force guarding the strong rooms.
The Commissioner asked the personnel on duty to ensure that details of persons entering the strong rooms are noted. The strong room will be monitored through CCTVs surveillance which record round-the-clock till December 4. Sajjanar said ballot boxes from the four wards of Somajiguda, Ameerpet, Sanathnagar, Khairatabad wards were shifted to the centre with heavy security and no person was allowed near the strong rooms. On the counting day, Section 144 will be in force upto 1 km radius around the counting centre.
DCP Balanagar, PV Padmaja, Balangar ACP, Purushottham and other officers were present during the inspection.
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