The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Focus on anti-Naxal drive, says IG

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Saturday, Sep 23, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Focus on anti-Naxal drive, says IG

V.S. Palaniappan

1,885 polling stations in west zone have been identified as sensitive The West Zone police are focussing on crime prevention through increased night beats, even as the police machinery is gearing up to ensure a peaceful local body election and combat Naxal menace in two districts, writes V.S. Palaniappan.

Coimbatore: The police in the west zone are determined on ensuring an incident-free and smooth conduct of elections to the local bodies and stepping up anti-Naxal security measures in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri.

Though there will be enhanced focus on these two counts, there would be no compromise or let-up in maintaining night beat marches to combat incidents of crime, the Inspector-General of Police, West Zone, K. Rajendran said.

Mr Rajendran said the elections to two local bodies would be held in two phases.

Strike force

Security measures were being planned for smooth campaigning, public meetings, polling station bandobust, ballot paper guard, counting centre security duties besides deployment in sensitive pockets in addition to mobile patrols, strike forces and armed pickets to thwart even mild skirmishes.

There are 19,027 polling stations in the west zone for various local bodies situated in two cities and seven districts. Of them 1,885 have been identified as sensitive polling stations that require extra attention.

Manpower

The services of police personnel, home guards, ex-servicemen, NSS volunteers and NCC cadets are being roped in besides Tamil Nadu Special Police and reinforcements from other States. Close to 20,000 police personnel are being deployed. Manpower would not be a constraint. At the same time there would be no let-up in regular policing duties, Mr. Rajendran said.

The thrust on crime prevention drives at night has been yielding good results and there has been a drastic fall in incidents of crime across the zone, especially in the hosiery town of Tirupur.

Criminal gangs

A total of 1,085 night beats were conducted on Thursday night. In fact, the night rounds helped in arresting a criminal gang and in solving the case of abduction of a businessman at Salem within two to three hours of the incident, the IG said.

There were 141 night beats in Coimbatore City, 248 in Rural District, 127 in Erode, 78 in the Nilgiris, 113 in Salem district, 98 in Salem City, 88 in Namakkal, Dharmapuri 75 and Krishnagiri 117.

One third of the manpower available in every police unit (right from constable to senior officers) was on night rounds without affecting the routine police work. Every personnel went for night rounds thrice a week, he said.

At the same time, anti-Naxal measures are being stepped up in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.

Fortified

The stepped-up intelligence gathering by the Q Branch and Naxal special division sleuths has led to curbing of activities completely. Though there had been no open anti-Naxal activities in these two districts, to prevent infiltration by Naxals from the neighbouring States such as Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri bordering areas have been fortified.

Security

Four police stations along Andhra Pradesh and one on Karnataka border have been fortified with adequate security measures.

The State Government has sanctioned more than 300 police personnel for anti-Naxal duties in these two districts, Mr. Rajendran added.

The deployment of a Tamil Nadu Special Police battalion at Pochampalli was nearing final stages , Mr.Rajendran added.

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