Central Forces In Maoist Districts To Ensure Free, Fair Polls: DGP In-Charge

Director General (Fire Services) Bijay Kumar Sharma. Photograph: Odishabytes

Bhubaneswar: Senior IPS officer and Director-General of Police (DGP) in-charge, Bijay Kumar Sharma, on Tuesday said that security would be tightened in Left-wing extremism (LWE) districts of Odisha to ensure free and fair polls.

Talking to mediapersons here, Sharma said there would be adequate deployment of central para-military forces in these districts to foil any attempt by Maoists to disrupt polls.

He also said that additional forces would be deployed in the hypersensitive booths in remote areas of these districts.

Polls for four Lok Sabha seats and 28 Assembly segments under them in the Maoist-prone Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Berhampur districts would take place on April 11.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday appointed Sharma as in-charge Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha after the incumbent DGP, Dr R.P. Sharma, went on leave following the untimely demise of his wife Tushar Sharma at the Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi early on Sunday morning.