Security tightened in Kokrajhar ahead of BTC polls

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, April 6: Security cover has been tightened in Kokrajhar district for the third BTC elections to be held on April 8. The district administration has taken up all precautiory measures for ensuring peaceful elections.

Deputy Commissioner, Kokrajhar Thaneswar Malakar said that between  March 8 to April 5, as many as 7 NDFB (S) cadres, 3 linkmen, one ULFA cadre, one NSLA, 5 MTF, one MULTA cadre have been arrested from different parts of the district. He also said the district police had seized as many as 5 pistols, two country made guns, 36 handmade guns, 19 explosives and other materials. He also said around 7,000 liters of illicit liquor were seized and 55 have been arrested under non-bailable section. There are 737 licensed arms holders in the district and out of these 526 have deposited the license arms. Meanwhile, 84 license arms are being used by bank, forest, tea estates for security cover. During poll preparedness initiated by the Kokrajhar district administration, many polling stations were identified as troublesome for which the security lineup has been entrusted to look into the various categories of polling stations in the three subdivisions of Kokrajhar.  According to official sources, the Kokrajhar Sadar Subdivision consists of five BTC segments comprising 7-Fakiragram (Non-ST), 9-Bargaon (ST), 10- Debargaon (ST), 11-Baukhungri (ST), and 12-Salakati (ST), which have 80 very sensitive polling stations, 161 sensitive polling stations and 76 comparatively safe polling stations out of a total of 317 polling stations in this subdivision while the Parbatjhora civil Subdivision is declared to have been 27 very sensitive polling stations, 32 sensitive polling stations and 7 comparatively safe polling stations out of a total of 66 polling stations under this subdivision which has only one BTC constituency mely No-1, Parbatjhora (ST) constituency.

Again in the Gossaigaon Civil subdivision out of 371 polling stations, 203 polling stations have been identified as sensitive, 91 polling stations as very sensitive and 77 as comparatively safe polling stations. The Gossaigaon Civil subdivision consists of six BTC segments comprising 2-Guma (Un-reserved), 3-Srirampur (Non-ST), 4-Jomduar (ST), 5-Saraibil (ST), 6-Kachugaon (ST) and 8-Dotma (ST) constituency. Kokrajhar district administration has also identified 51 critical polling stations in the district.

Meanwhile, the total number of voters in Kokrajhar Sadar subdividion is

2,48,340 with 1,25,195 male and 1,23,145 female voters. Similarly in Gossaigaon Civil subdivision total number of voters is 2,82,354 with 1,42,247 male and 1,40,107 female voters. Further, in Parbatjhora Civil subdivision total voters is  55,277 with 28,186 male and 27,091 female voters. According to Thaneswar Malakar, Returning Officer, Kokrajhar, all 754 polling stations of the twelve BTC constituencies in Kokrajhar district have been divided into 28 zones comprising 10 zones for five BTC constituencies in Kokrajhar Sadar subdivision, 14 zones for six BTC constituencies in Gossaigaon Civil subdivision and 4 zones for one BTC constituency in Parbatjhora Civil subdivision. At the same time all these polling stations have been brought under 79 sectors comprising 43 sectors for Gossaigaon Civil subdivision, 25 for Kokrajhar Sadar subdivision and 11 sectors for Parbatjhora Civil Subdivision.