EC to set up joint control room for police, paramilitary

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 5

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to establish a joint control room of central paramilitary forces and the state police in each district.

It will be the first time in Punjab that both forces will together run a control room. Earlier, it was managed by the state police.

Sources said the issue was discussed during the EC’s full-panel visit to Chandigarh from October 23 to 25 after the representatives of opposition parties expressed apprehension about the police’s role in the conduct of the Assembly elections. The EC has asked the state election authorities and the police to submit a reply by Monday.

“A joint control room will improve coordination between the paramilitary and the state police during crisis management. It will leave no room for any officer to ignore or act casually in case of a law and order problem,” said a senior election officer.

The EC has also asked the state police to specify the mechanism devised to assess the performance of station house officers (SHOs) with respect to tracing and arresting proclaimed offenders and bail jumpers.