AIZAWL, Nov 27 - Gearing up its entire machinery for the Assembly polls in Mizoram, the authorities have decided to connect all polling booths through wireless communication for the first time, leaving no �shadow areas� at all.
Mizoram, having a difficult hilly terrain, is going to polls on Wednesday to elect 40 MLAs.
�For the first time in Mizoram�s election history, all polling booths will be covered by wireless communication. It will help in timely reporting of every development and progress of the polling,� Mizoram Deputy Inspector General of Police (Training and Armed Branch) Joseph Lalchhuana told this news agency.
Till the last election in 2014 for the Lok Sabha, not all areas were connected through wireless technology and there was delay in receiving information from far-flung booths, he added.
Lalchhuana, who is also the Assistant State Police Nodal Officer for the Assembly elections, said: �By doing this (wireless connection), we have eliminated all shadow areas from Mizoram. Shadow areas mean the places where there is no communication.�
For operating the system as per the Election Commission of India guidelines, special training sessions were conducted for Mizoram Police personnel and now everything is in place to conduct the polls efficiently, he added.
�We take pride in it. We have tested it under the direct supervision of our DGP Balaji Srivastava and are fully confident of supporting the Election Commission as and when required,� Lalchhuana said.
Mizoram has 7,70,395 registered voters who will cast their franchise in 1,164 polling booths across the State, while an additional 15 special booths have been created at Kanhmun village in Mamit district for Bru refugees coming from six camps in Tripura.
Lalchhuana said that during the poll campaigning, which ended last evening, the Mizoram Police had formed 84 flying squads, 39 dynamic check posts, 80 static surveillance teams and 80 quick response teams across the State to prevent any unlawful activities.
�We have over 50 zonal police officers in the rank of DSP to SP. They are looking at the macro security arrangements in their respective areas. Above them, we have four grid DIGs along with the existing two range DIGs for overall responsibility,� he added. � PTI
