Ahead of polls, security heightened at border districts in Karnataka

Belagavi/Kalaburgai: Officials in the border districts have stepped up vigilance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka.

With the Election Commission declaring the dates for the elections, the officials have strengthened checkposts and installed additional ones in important locations.

Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil told reporters that each checkpost has three SST officials and police personnel and every assembly segment has a flying squad and video surveillance team.

Of the 61 checkposts operating in the district, 24 are inter-state and 37 are inter-district. Officials will monitor the CCTV cameras installed at every checkpost.

Between March 15 and 28, officials in the checkposts seized various materials, including Rs 1,07,80,120 cash, liquor worth Rs 17,34,166.74, drugs worth Rs 2,47,200, silver worth Rs 6,57,300, and other materials worth Rs 64,05,900, with a total worth of Rs 3,54,32,189.

Belagavi district has 18 assembly constituencies, the second-largest in the state after Bengaluru, with 4,434 polling stations.

Out of the 38,33,037 voters, of whom 19,36,887 are men and 18,96,150 are women.

The district administration has stated that while permission is not required for marriages, and social and religious ceremonies, no election campaign or display of party symbols or portraits of candidates will be allowed at such events.

Officials have warned to file cases against the organizers and the parties or individuals found violating this rule.

The district administration has also stated that three para-military forces will arrive soon, and more security teams will follow in the coming days.

As a precautionary measure, bars and restaurants, petrol bunks, and lodges are being monitored to prevent voters from being lured.

Kalaburgai district administration has installed 42 checkposts including 8 each on Maharashtra and Telangana border. For the nine assembly segments 2017 sector officials, 42 static surveillance teams, 44 flying squads, 9 VST teams, 9 VVT teams, 9 account teams, and 9 expenditure teams have been appointed. As many as 425 booths have been identified as vulnerable booths, according to Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth v Gurukar.

In the Yadgir district, 18 checkposts have been set up, including three interstate checkposts at Kuntimari, Kadechur, and Putpak Road.

The Raichur district administration has appointed 147 zone-level officials. Flying squads, surveillance officials, and 23 visual surveillance officials have also been deployed.