Ahmedabad: In a bid to fortify security for the 2026 local body elections, the Ahmedabad Rural police have launched ADR-Shield, an integrated digital monitoring portal. Operational since April 18, the platform functions as a centralized command-and-control hub, consolidating data on polling, force deployment, and enforcement onto a single paperless interface.Developed in-house with support from the local intelligence branch and cyber cell, the system builds on a pilot program from previous gram panchayat elections. Superintendent of police (Ahmedabad Rural) Om Prakash Jat said, “The portal covers 1,302 polling stations across three municipal corporations, three municipalities, and over 200 district and taluka panchayat seats.”Officials said the upgraded system now enables real-time supervision and paperless monitoring across the district.To ensure a secure voting environment, the police have categorized the booths based on vulnerability. Of the total polling stations, 41 have been classified as hyper-sensitive, 408 as sensitive and 853 as normal. A massive security blanket of 3,251 personnel, including civil police, SRPF, and Home Guards, has been deployed. The strategy is bolstered by 75 mobile patrolling units and 22 quick response teams (QRTs), all tracked via GPS-based mapping to monitor vulnerable routes and nakabandi points in real time.Beyond logistics, ADR-Shield also includes a daily reporting and enforcement module tracking vehicle checks, weapon deposits, warrant execution and action against illicit liquor and cash. Since April 1, authorities have executed over 5,000 preventive actions, secured nearly 1,700 weapons, and seized significant quantities of illicit liquor, including 16,976 bottles of IMFL.
