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| 31 emergency polling stations in Poonch | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
SAWJIAN, (LoC), Nov 11: With border dwellers living in constant fear in the wake of repeated cross-border firings from the Pakistani side in Poonch district, authorities have formulated a contingency plan by setting up 31 emergency polling stations in safer areas.
"There is an increase in cross-border firing and we do not want to take any risk. Therefore, we have formulated a contingency plan under which we have prepared 31 polling stations which fall out of the range of Pakistan firing along the LoC in Poonch district. They will be made operational in case of any eventually," District Election Officer Poonch Mohammad Afzal Bhat said.
In view of the Indo-Pak border truce, there are 31 polling stations close to LoC, where border dwellers will exercise their right of franchise in the first phase of polling on November 17 in Poonch-Haveli and Mendhar assembly segments.
The security officials have identified and prepared these emergency polling stations in safer areas away from the range of Pakistan firing in Mendhar and Poonch constituencies, he said, adding "in case of any misadventure on LoC, including Pak firing, rocket shelling, infiltration bids and grenade attacks the polling stations will be shifted immediately.
There have been a number of incidents of infiltration bids, cross-border firings, ceasefire violations and rocket attacks on Indian posts along the LoC in Poonch district during the past one month in which two jawans and nine militants were killed while nine others were injured.
"We are living under the fear psychosis in view of the increase in infiltration bid and Pak firing this year as compared to last year," a 52-year-old wood-cutter Chowdary Aslam of Sabzian said.
His apprehensions were further compounded by Sagra Begum of the same area as she said, "we fear the break of the ceasefire any time and borders will again see blood-baths daily. We were living in peace since 2003 after border truce but this year Pak army is bent to break it."
"Yes, there has been an increase in the number of the infiltration bids and Pak firing incidents. We have lodged strong protests with them but still it continues," a senior army officer, Brigadier Gurdeep Singh said.
He also alleged that the aim of all this is to push in more militants under the cover of firing to sabotage and disturb the elections in the state. However, troops have foiled their designs, he said.
Noordin, a Sarpanch, said,"we have already asked the government that polling stations should be made away from range of Pak firing as they can create trouble at the time of polling.
"Come what may, we will vote in this election to foil their designs as some vested interests do not want peace to prevail in the state. We will vote in favour of peace," Noordin said, adding we want a stable government not governor's rule in the state.
The officials said that out of 31 polling stations falling in the range of Pakistan firing, 20 were located in Poonch-Haveli segment and 11 in Mendhar.
The polling stations set up by the authorities close on LoC for whom emergency plan has been put in place include Mandala, Ukkal Dag, Balmar, Salotir, Degwar, Nakarkote, Pathi, Aldiata, Karmara, Jallas, Kheri, Gulpur, Sabzian, Kirni, Tarwar (Poonch segment), Balnoie, Gursia, Harni, Kalaban, Kasblari, Mankote, Golhad, Harni (Mendhar segment).
"We have decided not to take any chance. If all goes well, the polling would be held in designated polling stations. If there is firing from Pakistan side, the polling booths will be immediately shifted to safer areas in already identified places," Bhat said.
Over 2.60 lakh electorate will exercise their right of franchise In 373 polling stations, out of which 111 were hyper sensitive and 101 sensitive while remaining 161 were normal.
36 candidates, including 13 in Poonch-Haveli, 12 in Mendhar segment and 11 in Surankote are in the fray. Over 80 companies of para-military forces, mostly comprising CRPF have been deployed in three constituencies of the Poonch for incident-free, free and fair polls. |
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