Assam: Army put on alert, chopper surveillance on counting day

Apprehending trouble in the state especially in violence-affected Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas in the aftermath of declaration of results of election in the state on Friday, the Assam government has requested the army to be in stand by for quick deployment, if the need arises while helicopter surveillance is being continued in vulnerable areas of the violence-affected BTC areas and along India-Bhutan border.

Special Coverage: Election 2014

These were some of the key decisions taken in the meeting of the State Level Crisis Management Group chaired by Assam’s Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla and attended by the Director General of Police Khagen Sarma, senior state government officials from Home, Revenue and other concerned departments.

Representatives from the army and air force were also present in the meeting that reviewed the security arrangements made to deal with any situation that may arise after declaration of the results.

Some other decisions made in the meeting included: prohibitory order under Section 144 is  being enforced strictly and victory processions not to be allowed in 11 sensitive districts namely, Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Udalguri and Darrang. All emergency services including fire, Civil Defence, VDP & Home Guard are being kept in readiness to deal with any situation. 

The search operations for recovery of illegal arms and ammunitions are to be intensified and strong action to be taken against rumour mongers and anti-social elements. The meeting was followed by video conference with the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of the vulnerable districts of the State for review of the counting preparedness by the districts, take stock of the issue of law & order & ethnic/communal violence during counting and after the declaration of results.

The meeting also reviewed the deployment of security forces in the State. More than 100 companies of central paramilitary forces and State Armed Police have been deployed to deal with any eventuality in the BTC areas and adjoining districts and 141 fixed pickets and 35 mobile pickets have been setup.

The chief secretary affirmed his confidence in the ability of the administration to deal with any eventuality with firmness and appealed to all sections of the society to stay calm and not to believe any rumours but to confirm the veracity of any information from the control rooms set up by the government and Assam police on the following numbers:

Control Room number of State Disaster Management Authority: 0361- 2237219.

Control Room number of Special Branch, Assam police: 0361-2380620.