CHANDIGARH, February 11:
To ensure Drug-free and other inducement-free Assembly Elections in the state, various enforcement teams have seized valuables worth Rs 407.15 crores in violation of code since Model Code of Conduct has come into force.
Divulging details, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr S Karuna Raju said that various Enforcement Agencies have recovered 1.18 lakh litre of licit liquor, 34650 litre of illicit liquor, 15.53 lakh litre of Lahan (raw material used to make liquor), 4170 Kg of Poppy Husk, 32.70 Kg of Opium, 164 Kg Ganja, 33141 grams of Heroin, 263 grams of Smack, 7456 grams of Charas, 10784 capsules, 479 vials of syrup and 473733 numbers of tablets till February 11, 2022.
He said that apart from this the surveillance team have recovered 27.85 crores cash, 8778.73 grams of Gold, 9775.72 grams of Silver and 913.76 grams of ornaments.
He said that since the model code of conduct came into the force as many as 121 arms/weapons, 6Kg explosives, 709 cartridges and 11 bombs have been seized in the state and a total of 14 gangsters have been arrested.
He informed that adequate number of central para military forces comprised of personnel from CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB are already making area domination exercises at Indo-Pak border adjoining areas, in big cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar.
There are a total of 56 nakas at second line of defence including seven in Amritsar Rural, six in Batala, 10 in Gurdaspur, six in Pathankot, seven in Tarn Taran, 12 in Ferozepur and eight in Fazilka, Dr Raju said, while adding that there are a total of 276 interstate nakas.
The Chief Electoral Officer revealed that as many as 1346 vulnerable hamlets have been identified. Besides this, 4272 persons have been identified as probable sources of trouble, he said adding that out of these persons preventive action had already been initiated against 3674 persons while the remaining would also be brought to book. He also informed that from a security point of view 2260 persons have been bound down under preventive sections of CrPC act.
He informed that all the 3093 cases of non-bailable warrants have been executed. As many as 24141 nakas are operational across the State, he added.
As per the directions of the election commission, Dr Raju said that of total 3,90,170 licensed weapons in the state 3,79,258 weapons have been deposited till date. Whereas, 121 without licenses weapons were seized in the state.
Dr Raju said that the Punjab Police along with these personnel are leaving no stone unturned to ensure free, fair, secure and inducement-free elections.
