RAWALPINDI: The inspector general of police on Tuesday asked the provincial government to allocate budget for the police so that they could make security arrangements during the upcoming general election.

He made the demand at a meeting of subcommittee on law and order, which operates under the provincial cabinet.

The meeting was chaired by additional chief secretary and attended by divisional police chiefs and commissioners.

The Punjab IG said the allocation of budget would help in procuring barriers, metal detectors, barbed wire, hiring of private vehicles and bearing meal charges, etc.

The meeting asked the provincial election commission to provide a tentative list of polling stations in Punjab to respective district administration so that sensitive polling stations could be identified accordingly.

During the last general election, CCTV cameras were installed only at sensitive polling stations.

A representative of provincial election commission informed the meeting that 639 premises which are to be used for establishing the polling booths did not have basic facilities including the boundary walls.

He said Rs2.4 billion would be required for providing the missing facilities.

He told the meeting that funds would be placed at the disposal of district returning officer for meeting the transportation expenditures, establishment of polling stations.

Returning officers will be appointed in May (next month).

Approximately, the total number of registered voters will be 56,400,000 and as an average 1,200 voters will cast their votes at one polling booth.

Around 50,000 polling stations will be established across the province and one polling station will be set up to cover the population of one kilometer radius.

The meeting also decided to constitute a sub-committee, which will rationalise the funds demanded by the Punjab IGP.

The additional secretary home department said that all types of support and assistance would be provided to the district administration and police to maintain security for the conduct of peaceful and fair elections.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2018