By Firstdespatch Desk Feb 08, 2023
Agartala, Feb 8(FD): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken action to ensure the voting rights of 139 Indian electorates of Tripura so far who are living outside the wire fencing along Indo-Bangladesh border of the state at zero line, said Chief Electoral Officer Kiran Gitte.
We have made a list of such voters and have already shared with the BSF to facilitate their convenient entry and exit inside the wire fencing to cast their votes in the designated polling booths on the day of poll, Gitte said.
He, however, said the process of identifying such voters enrolled in the state that have been living in inconvenient locations in the bordering areas of Tripura has been going on.
The local administration has been asked to ensure exercise the rights of each and every voter.
Because of pre-partition habitation along zero line in a few stretches of Tripura with the agreement of both Bangladesh and India had erected fencing inside Indian Territory disturbing the habitation in many places of the state and as a result, about a lakh of people were fenced out.
For the resettling of about 93000 people living outside the fencing, the then left front government had submitted a project to the centre about a decade ago but it was not sanctioned. Meantime, a large number of families with their own shifted in the locations inside the fencing.
However, a few are still left mostly in North Tripura and Sepahijala district.
Meanwhile, IGP (Crime) G S Rao said that to ensure free and fair poll on Feb 16 to Tripura assembly, police have arrested as many as 54 persons so far while notice has been served to 314 people in connection with 62 complaints of political violence.
He informed at least 62 cases of political violence registered with police after declaration of election schedule. Since August last year about 1610 warrants have been executed while 31,638 prosecutions have been made.
In terms of contraband items, police and other paramilitary forces have seized contraband items of Rs 27.35 Cr including 42,742 kgs of cannabis, 60, 000 bottles of Phensedyl, 1.22 lakh Yaba tablets, 2000grams of heroine during search in ensuing election process, Rao stated.
He further informed that police have received 12 complaints from CEO/ECI among this reply of seven were given and rest other inquiry going on.
More than 200 companies of CAPF have already been deployed across the state and more than 250 checking points were erected on the entry points of the critical locations to prevent the movement of illegal items, cash and contrabands.