As the Lok Sabha elections approach in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, which includes the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the administration has been working tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of voters, polling staff, and security personnel. With a significant number of polling stations located near the Line of Control (LoC), the authorities have put in place extensive contingency plans to address the threat of cross-border shelling and militant attacks.
Contingency Plans and Security Measures
- Community bunkers have been identified and mapped near polling stations to provide shelter in case of shelling incidents
- Alternate polling stations have been set up in safe zones to ensure voters can exercise their right to vote if prolonged shelling occurs
- Bunker vehicles have been arranged by the administration to transport polling staff and voters if needed
- Security forces, including police, army, and paramilitary personnel, have intensified patrolling and search operations to prevent potential terror strikes
Polling Stations Near the LoC
- Poonch district has a total of 474 polling stations, with more than 50 located within a 5 km radius of the LoC, 24 within a 2 km radius, and 12 beyond the border fence
- The District Election Officer (DEO) of Poonch, Vikas Kundal, recently conducted an extensive tour of the polling stations near the LoC to assess the preparations
- 60 bunkers along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch are being improved for polling purposes, and in case of Pakistani shelling, polling staff and voters will be shifted to these bunkers
Increased Militant Activity
- The region has witnessed a surge in terror attacks, with militants targeting security forces and civilians
- On May 4, an Indian Air Force soldier was killed, and four others were injured in an attack near Surankote tehsil in Poonch district.
- On April 22, a government employee was killed by terrorists near Kunda Tope in Shahdara Sharief, Rajouri.
The authorities are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to ensure a peaceful and secure election process in the border areas of Poonch and Rajouri. The deployment of additional security forces, establishment of contingency plans, and regular inspections of polling stations near the LoC demonstrate the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the democratic rights of the people in these sensitive regions.