Visakha Range Inspector-General of Police, Gopinath Jatti has directed Superintendents of Police (SPs) of six districts under the range, to take comprehensive precautionary measures to ensure peaceful, free and fair conduct of the proposed local body elections.

During a review meeting held through a video conference on Thursday, the IG reviewed election preparedness with the SPs of Alluri Sitharama Raju, Polavaram, Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam and Srikakulam districts. He stressed the need to strictly implement the Election Commission’s guidelines, election-related laws and the Model Code of Conduct.

Focusing on security arrangements, Mr. Jatti instructed the SPs to assess the security requirements at polling stations and sensitive areas in their respective districts and estimate the requirement of additional police personnel from other districts. He asked them to prepare detailed plans for the allocation of personnel, deployment of forces and coordination between units well in advance to prevent any shortage of staff during the elections.

Officers were directed to identify sensitive locations and deploy adequate forces to prevent violence, intimidation, clashes and other unlawful activities.

The IG called for continuous surveillance of history-sheeters, rowdy-sheeters, habitual offenders and other individuals likely to disturb public order during the election period. He instructed the SPs to identify potential troublemakers and initiate preventive legal action, including binding them over, wherever necessary, in accordance with the law.

He further directed the SPs to personally monitor election security arrangements in their respective districts, ensuring effective deployment of police personnel, availability of reserve forces, robust communication networks, surveillance mechanisms and rapid-response systems.