Massive Police Reshuffle, Border Vigilance for Peaceful Polls in Chittoor District

Tirupati: With the elections coming, the Chittoor district police have been taking several steps to facilitate a smooth polling. It is strengthening visible policing in rural areas and tightening security at border check posts.

In a bid to address the staffing imbalance between urban and rural police stations, SP Joshua has overseen a major reshuffle of personnel. While urban stations had an excess of 50 to 70 per cent of required staff, the rural areas faced a severe shortage. To bridge this gap, over 120 police personnel, ranging from constables to assistant sub-inspectors, were reassigned to police stations in rural areas, after cancelling their prior attachments.

Additionally, over a hundred officers who had completed five years of service in a single location were transferred to various assembly constituencies.

Recognizing the importance of securing the district's borders, an additional police force has been deployed at border check posts along Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The aim is to monitor the flow of liquor stock and maintain surveillance on the movement of ganja and other contraband materials, ensuring a secure environment during the elections.

To bolster security further, the district has welcomed the support of paramilitary forces. As of now, four companies, including three from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), have been stationed in strategic locations such as Kuppam, Palamaner, Chittoor and Nagari. These forces will also address the security requirements of neighbouring assembly constituencies.

Joshua anticipates the arrival of additional paramilitary companies in the coming weeks. He said the district has also assembled a specially trained force from the armed reserve, keeping them ready for deployment if necessary.

Meanwhile, district election officer and collector Shanmohan has taken steps to regulate firearms within the district. With the enforcement of the election code, out of the 697 licensed firearms, 624 have been deposited through local police stations.

Exemptions have been granted for the remaining 73 firearms held by security guards employed in banks and agencies responsible for cash transportation to ATM centres.