Top officials of TS, AP hold joint meet to ensure hassle-free polls

Hyderabad: Even as both Telugu States are bracing for the Lok Sabha polls within a month and AP is all geared up for Assembly elections, the top officials of both States held a joint meeting for increased mutual cooperation, especially on the border checkpoints.

During the review meeting on election preparedness held at the Secretariat, the Chief Secretary of Telangana, Santhi Kumar, and her counterpart from AP K S Jawahar Reddy, along with officials from various departments, discussed increased coordination for the ensuing polls. They instructed the officials to remain alert and to ensure that alcohol, drugs, and other prohibited material do not cross over to neighbouring States through borders.

The top official from AP, Jawahar Reddy, has sought complete coordination from Telangana’s officials in this regard. While emphasising tight control over border checkposts, AP’s Chief Secretary explained how AP was keeping a tight vigil and preventing the smuggling of alcohol, cash, and other prohibited material at the borders. He credited the efficiency of operations to the mutual cooperation of the enforcement agencies of both States.

The Telangana government has already set up 36 inter-State border checkpoints, including three handled by the Forest Department, eight by the Excise Department, and seven by the Commercial Tax Department, besides the deployment of 224 enforcement teams. While emphasising that Telangana was not infested with Maoist activities, Santhi Kumar informed that there remains effective coordination between police officials of Telangana and Chhattisgarh, besides Central forces, for preventing any activity in Telangana.