LUCKNOW, Aug. 22 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has sanctioned Rs.29.47 crore to procure protective and crowd-control equipment for the state police, including 30,000 helmets, 30,000 PVC shields, 30,000 PVC lathis and 1,500 ballistic shields, ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, a senior home department official said on Saturday.

The sanction, issued on Tuesday based on a proposal from the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters, comes as political rallies, demonstrations and public mobilisation are expected to increase before the polls.

Although the government order does not specifically describe the procurement as election-related, officials justified the expenditure as necessary to strengthen the state's law-and-order machinery and maint...