Inter-state meet for peaceful poll

Our Correspondent

UNA, March 20

In an effort to ensure free and fair Lok Sabha elections and to keep a check on the possible inter-state movement of illegal items which could be used in the elections, a Range level inter-state border meeting was held today at the Punjab Police Recruits Training Centre situated in Jahankhelan village of Hoshiarpur district, where IGs from the Jalandhar Range of Punjab and North Zone Range of Himachal Pradesh discussed the coordination planning.

After the meeting, IG North Range, Dr Atul Fulzele told mediapersons at Una that he had a very fruitful meeting with IG Jalandhar, Naunihal Singh, where other senior police officers were also present. He said it has been decided that the two police set-ups will work in close coordination during the run up to the elections so that the law and order situation on both sides of the inter-state border remain normal.

The IG said as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, CCTV cameras will be installed at 25 inter-state barriers on the borders extending from Kangra to Una, which touch the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Garhshankar in Punjab. He said plans to check smuggling of illegal goods have also been formulated.

DIG Dharamsala Santosh Patial, SSP Hoshiarpur J Elanchezhian, SSP Jalandhar (Rural) Navjot Singh Mahal, SSP Kapurthala (Operations) Bakhtawar Singh and Una SP Devakar Sharma were also present at the meeting.

Districts under watch

• IGs from Jalandhar and Himachal discussed will work in coordination during the run-up to the elections to maintain law and order. 
• CCTV cameras will be installed at 25 inter-state barriers on the borders extending from Kangra to Una.