The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cops to use GIS to monitor polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cops to use GIS to monitor polls

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 25. Police will use specially developed Geographical Information System-based computer software to monitor the second phase of polls to be held on Monday.

Describing the software as the first of its kind in the country, the IGP (Computers), S.V. Ramana Murthy, told a press conference here on Sunday that it had been supplied to all districts to serve as a decision support system for the Superintendents of Police. Details of the entire police bandobust for the polls were incorporated in the software along with maps of districts, mandals, and villages to enable the monitoring authorities to know every development at the click of a button.

Developed at a cost of Rs. 10 lakhs, the new software comprises of maps of boundaries of districts, Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies, classification of villages and polling stations on sensitivity basis, infrastructural details like national and State highways and transportation network. "In case of emergency the shortest possible route between two villages can be located on the computer screen within seconds to rush the forces," Mr. Murthy said.

Even the particulars, including contact numbers and mobile numbers of the officers in charge of each polling station, village, mobile party, striking force and special striking force superimposed on the map of a village, mandal, Lok Sabha and Assembly constituency will be made available. Statistics of pre-poll, post-poll and previous elections were also fed into the system for better analysis. The software also helps the police in creation of police station-wise village maps.

The DGP, S.R. Sukumara, said that more than 80,000 police personnel would man the second phase of polls. Of these, 22,050 were from the civil police, 12,500 Home Guards, 6,100 Armed Reserve of District Headquarters, 5,900 policemen who were on deputation with other departments, 7,600 Special Police Officers and nearly 15,000 Central Para Military Forces and an equal number of men from Andhra Pradesh Special Police.

There were about 2,349 sensitive villages and 1,796 hypersensitive villages. As many as 273 poll-related cases were registered in the last 45 days (up to April 23 night) in the 10 districts where elections were being held on Monday. While 20 cases involving naxals were reported, 99 and 96 cases were registered against the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party respectively.

Mr. Sukumara opined that violence by factionists could pose a threat to law and order in addition to the activities of naxals, which witnessed a steep rise in areas like Guntur.

As in the first phase, the eight helicopters would be put to use for surveillance and transporting election material in the second phase also.

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