Haryana Police to deploy additional paramilitary forces for tight security of EVMs

The Haryana Police has deployed six additional companies of paramilitary forces as part of tight security measures for EVMs in the "sensitive" districts of Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Hisar and Fatehabad, ADGP (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said Tuesday.

According to intelligence and other inputs, these seven districts are found to be "sensitive", he said.

Twelve companies of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), coming back from election duties, are also being deployed in these districts Wednesday, Virk said.

The counting of votes cast in the seven-phase general election will take place on May 23.

"We have also requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide another 20 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to ensure fool-proof security of EVMs and it is hoped that we will get these shortly," Virk said in a statement here.

All these personnel would be deployed for safety of EVMs in the sensitive districts, he said.

The ADGP said security has already been tightened at the strong rooms housing the EVMs to ensure peaceful counting of votes in the state.

All the commissioners of police and district superintendents of police have been instructed to ensure round-the-clock vigil at the strong rooms across the state.

Apart from this, they have also been asked to ensure maintenance of law and order in their respective areas on the counting day, he said.

A three-layered security cover has already been put in place at the counting centres after elections to 10 Lok Sabha seats got over in the state, Virk added.

The polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana was held in the sixth phase on May 12.

As many as 90 strong rooms have been set up at 30 locations in Haryana for safe storage of EVMs and VVPAT machines, state's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Inder Jeet said earlier.