Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 19: Ahead of the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, police have sealed its border with the neighbouring State in Doda and Kishtwar district to block the entry of militants and other undesirable elements besides flow of liquor and cash to the poll bound State.
Himachal Pradesh is going to polls on November 4.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) V S Sampath held video conferencing with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Umang Narula recently and sought that areas in Jammu bordering Himachal Pradesh should be plugged to ensure that undesirable elements and items didn’t manage to sneak into the neighbouring State.
The directions of the Election Commission have been passed on to the police authorities, sources said.
Himachal Pradesh shared long boundary with Jammu and Kashmir through Doda and Kishtwar districts. On Lakhanpur-Pathankot border between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, Himachal was linked through Madhopur.
DIG Doda-Ramban range Gareeb Dass said police and para-military personnel have been deployed along Sansari Nullah and Ghandhari Chinto hills in Doda district, Bhalpadri and Chabutri Dhar in Gandoh, Kailash Kund to Padri Gali in Bhaderwah and Pangi Valley in Paddar area of Kishtwar.
All these routes in Doda and Kishtwar districts had hilly areas but walking distance to Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
Sources said police and para-military personnel have already started patrolling and checking along all the routes in Doda and Kishtwar districts while the borders would be completely sealed about a week ahead of the polling in Himachal Pradesh.
Though there was negligible presence of militants in Doda and Kishtwar districts, some undesirable elements could sneak into the neighbouring State. The militants could also try to make their presence felt in Himachal Pradesh, sources said but added that in view of strong presence of police and para-military personnel, they wouldn’t make such an attempt.
“There were very few left out militants in Kishtwar district and they wanted to stay put there. There seems to be no militant threat to Himachal Pradesh elections from our side but definitely a vigil was being maintained. Moreover, some undesirable elements could smuggle illicit liquor, cash etc. All these aspects would be checked”, sources said.
A long back, the militants had entered Chamba from Pangi Valley and killed a number of civilians there.
Sources added that only random checking would be conducted on Lakhanpur-Madhopur border, which leads to Himachal Pradesh to check any flow of liquor or cash to the neighbouring State.
According to sources, the major focus of police and para-military personnel would be on the areas bordering Doda and Kishtwar districts, which were more vulnerable than Lakhanpur-Madhopur, which falls on the Main National Highway of Jammu-Pathankot.
On their part, Himachal Police has also intensified vigil in all the areas bordering Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said Himachal Police would seal the borders with J&K a week ahead of the elections.
It may be mentioned here that the Chief Election Commissioner had recently asked three neighbouring States of Himachal Pradesh including Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to help in ensuing peaceful and fair elections in the hilly State.
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