Election authorities identify safer zones
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 9: As the people of Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency are going to exercise their democratic right to cast vote on April 11 (Thursday), the fear of Pakistani shelling is hovering over the voters who will cast their vote in 224 border polling stations in Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Samba border districts.
Official sources told the Excelsior that in view of firing by the Pakistani troops in Nowshera, Sunderbani in Rajouri and Mendhar, Balakote, Mankote, Krishna Ghati, Kirni Shahpur in Poonch sector recently, there are apprehensions of Pak shelling on the day of election on the border polling stations in these four districts, where election is being held in first phase on Thursday.
Taking all precautions, the State and District Election authorities along with senior officials from security agencies, have made a contingency plan and may shift the polling stations in case of emergency. Many such polling stations which fall within 0-5 kms from LoC and the International Border, can be shifted to the identified locations in safer zones.
Sources further revealed that out of the total, the highest number 100 polling stations fall in district Jammu, followed by 51 in Rajouri. But most of the vulnerable polling stations fall in Poonch and Rajouri districts. The teams are being dispatched to the forward stations along with sufficient security staff. Even the leave of all the concerned medical staff members has been cancelled and they have been directed to remain at their border stations/ health centres to meet any emergency.
District Election Officer, Poonch, Rahul Yadav told the Excelsior that there will be total 451 polling stations in all the three Assembly segments of district Poonch. There are 38 border polling stations, 18 hyper-sensitive and 209 sensitive polling stations in the entire district. The total number of voters in the district has reached up to 3.78 lakhs with some increase this time.
Replying to a question, the DEO Poonch said till now no polling station has been shifted. The people will go for polls on April 11, at all the 38 border stations in the district but in case of shelling, strategy has been devised to shift such stations to the safer locations. ” We will wait and watch the situation and take appropriate decision,” Yadav said.
District Election Officer (DEO), Rajouri Aijaz Ahmed Asad when contacted disclosed that there are total 4,20,016 voters in district Rajouri and for them 614 polling stations have been set up. There are 51 polling stations which fall between 0 to 5 kms from border/LoC.
Aijaz further revealed that there are 66 hyper-sensitive and 142 sensitive polling stations in all the four Assembly segments of the district. About 4000 new voters have been added this time. He said in view of tension along the LoC for the last several weeks, there are apprehensions of firing from that side. But all the measures have been discussed in view of any such type of emergency. He said, till now, there are no plans to shift the border polling stations but in case of firing, the decision can be taken on the spot. “We have already identified the locations,” he added.
District Election Officer, Jammu Ramesh Kumar said in district Jammu, there are total 1380 polling stations and out of them, around 100 are located on the border. There is no hyper sensitive polling station in Jammu, he said.
The DEO further revealed there are no plans to shift border polling stations and if needed, on the spot decision can be taken in view of the prevailing situation. Till now, it is all peaceful and all the measures have been taken to deal with the emergency. He said sufficient deployment of security force staff is being made at such stations.
Another Election officer in district Samba revealed that there are total 152 polling stations in Vijaypur Assembly segment and 143 in Samba constituency. There are total 35 border polling stations and out of the total 295, 16 stations are vulnerable. He claimed that all the measures have been finalized for shifting of border polling stations to the safer zones in case of any shelling/ firing from Pakistani side on Thursday, the day of polling in Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency.
It is pertinent to mention here that all these 224 border polling stations of Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency, fall in 12 Assembly segments- Samba, Vijaypur, Suchetgarh, RS Pura, Marh, Chhamb/ Khour, Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Mendhar and Poonch-Haveli.
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