Bhubaneswar: In a bid to ensure free, fair, and peaceful Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed as many as 75 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) including 35 companies of CRPF, 35 companies of BSF and 5 companies of CISF, informed Dr Archana Shivhare, CRPF IGP of Odisha Sector.
The CAPFs are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Addressing mediapersons at a presser, Shivhare revealed that at present the 75 CAPF companies have been deployed in Odisha for area domination, patrolling, and checking. Paramilitary forces have also been deployed for anti-naxal operations in the state so that people belonging to Maoist-affected districts can cast their votes fearlessly. Deployment has been done at sensitive and hyper-sensitive districts in two phases. The first induction of forces was carried out on March 1 while the second induction was done on March 7.
Notably, Shivhare has been appointed as the state coordinator of the forces by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“We are continuously coordinating with the state police in all sensitive and hyper-sensitive places. The central forces and the state police are working together for the smooth conduct of elections. The forces will also be deployed at the inter-state and inter-district borders,” Shivhare added.
The dates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, to be held simultaneously, are expected to be announced in the coming days.
