Bhubaneswar, May 24: A broad range of security arrangements including the deployment of a total of 35,000 security forces have been made for smooth conduct of the third phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, said DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi on Friday.
Speaking to media persons, Sarangi said that a total of 35,000 security personnel including 121 companies of Paramilitary Forces, 106 platoons of Odisha Police, and 19,865 civil police personnel have been mobilized to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the polling.
He further added that enforcement activities have been stepped up to ensure free and fair polls.
Since January 1, over 4000 persons have been declared proclaimed offenders out of which more than 1000 persons have been apprehended. A total of 1283 history sheeters/absconders have been arrested, he added.
Apart from it, 254 illegal arms along with 143 cartridges, 119 bombs and 1,534 other explosives have been seized. A total of 6,78,547 litres of illegal liquor have been seized and 3,941 persons have been arrested in this connection. Around 843.23 quintals of Ganja, five kilograms of Brown Sugar and 4,507 litres of cough syrup have been seized along with the arrest of 1,240 persons. After enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, the monetary value of total seizure of various items by police is more than Rs 89.3 crores, said Sarangi.
To keep a check on inter-state and inter-district flow of illegal materials, contraband, and unaccounted cash, 105 Inter-State Border Check Posts (BCP) and 228 Intra-State (Inter-district) BCPs have been functioning, added Sarangi.
Additionally, a Social Media Monitoring Cell in every district and a Social Media Monitoring and Cyber Security Unit at the state level are functioning under the supervision of IG of Police CID-CB, said Sarangi.
So far, 145 social media-related complaints have been received and 394 contents have been removed. Five cases have been registered and one person has been arrested. 843 social media handles are under surveillance, he added.
