The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, September 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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All 2nd phase booths sensitive
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 22
As militants intensify anti-poll operations in the valley, security agencies have nearly formalised their defenses for the second phase of elections due on September 24. In all, 1007 polling booths have been set up for 10 Assembly segments of Srinagar and five segments of Budgam which will go to polls in the second phase. Out of these, 711 booths have been identified as hypersensitive and the remaining 296 as sensitive. Significantly, not a single booth in Srinagar and Budgam districts has been declared normal.

3rd phase booths

As many as 1020 polling stations will be set up for the third phase of elections in Anantnag and Pulwama districts on October 1. Out of these, 769 will be hypersensitive and 251 sensitive. There will be no normal booth. About 16 convoys will control the situation in the third phase, which will have elections in six Assembly segments of Pulwama and 10 constituencies of Anantnag. The maximum number of hypersensitive booths — 78 — have been identified in Rajpora segment of Pulwama, followed by 63 in Tral which falls under Awantipora police district of Pulwama.

Police sources say, “For the purpose of supervision, security arrangements have been worked out meticulously.” All 15 segments of Srinagar and Budgam districts have been divided into 15 security zones, each to be manned by an SP designated as zonal officer. Each zone will have three sectors, each under a deputy SP. All sectors will have nine sub-sectors, each under a non-gazetted officer of the inspector rank.

A foolproof system has been worked out to prevent militant attacks, especially after yesterday’s fidayeen attack on the Police Colony. Top officials have categorised 1007 polling booths as normal, sensitive and hypersensitive, depending upon the possibility of militant attack. Out of the 702 booths in the 10 Assembly constituencies of Srinagar, 541 have been declared hypersensitive. The remaining 161 booths have been declared sensitive. Five segments of Budgam (Chadoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahab and Chrar-e-Sharief) will have 305 polling stations, out of which 170 are hypersensitive and 135 sensitive.

Officials inform that areas which have in the past remained heavily infested with militancy or those, which have a tough terrain, hampering routine movement of troops, have been identified as hypersensitive. Each hypersensitive booth will have two sections on duty (comprising 16 guards). One section will guard every sensitive booth.

In Srinagar, Hazratbal will have 69 hypersensitive booths, the largest in the district, followed by 65 in Batmaloo and 64 in Ganderbal. The largest number of polling booths in Srinagar are in Hazratbal (90) followed by Batmaloo (87) and Amirakadal and Habbakadal (68 each). In Budgam district, Khansahab, being the most infested by terrorists, will have 48 hypersensitive booths, the largest in Budgam. Beerwah and Chadoora will follow with 46 and 29 hypersensitive booths, respectively.

Ten convoys, two in Ganderbal police district comprising Kangan and Ganderbal; eight in rest of the eight segments of Srinagar will guard 10 Srinagar constituencies. For five segments of Budgam five convoys have been earmarked. The CRPF, BSF, RPSF (Railway Protection Special Force), SSB and ITBP, will be deployed for guard, along with the Army for better area security.