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Bengal

Howrah, N 24-Parganas gear up for 4th phase

In a bid to assure a trouble free election in Howrah and North 24-Parganas on April 25, administration of both the districts have taken up unprecedented move to tighten up the security from 36 hours ahead of the polling day.

Following the instruction of the Election Commission, security checking at the entry and exit points of both the districts had been started since Saturday night. 

More stress was given in the bordering areas in North 24-Parganas. 

Policemen along with the central forces jawans were found checking each and every vehicles including motorbikes those entered the districts through different routes. 

A large contingent of forces was deployed at every points including Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, Salt Lake and other entry points of North 24-Parganas and Howrah just to check the vehicles. 

It may be mentioned that during similar checking on Howrah Bridge a mini-truck ferrying light intensity explosives was caught a day ahead of the election in Kolkata on April 21.

Drivers of the trucks were made to open the covered back portion of their vehicles to check what was being carried. 

Even motorbike owners were made to open the small boxes fitted to their two-wheelers for checking. 

When asked the reason behind checking the small boxes of motorbikes, a jawan posted near Howrah station said one can easily carry small quantity of explosives in the boxes and that could be enough to unleash terror at a polling station or to create panic among voters. 

Besides taking necessary steps to restrict entry of outsiders into Howrah and North 24-Parganas, patrolling at each and every area in the districts were also ensured. 

Both in the urban and rural parts of the districts, jawans led by police officers from the local police stations continued patrolling throughout the night. They were also found keep a watch of their respective jurisdiction even on Sunday morning as well. 

Similar checking at the entry points and patrolling will continue till the election ends. In Howrah, 227 company jawans including 75 in the urban part were deployed while in 445 companies were posted in North 24-Parganas.

More importantly, patrolling on vessels were carried out in the Hooghly river as there is possibility of outsiders sneaking into Howrah and North 24-Parganas districts using the water route. 

There are 643 and 2,323 vulnerable hamlets in Howrah and North 24-Parganas respectively as per the Election Commission. Apprehending trouble in these places, necessary steps were taken to avoid untoward incident during the election on Monday. 

The election officials were given instruction to ensure that each and every electorate can go to the polling stations without facing any trouble or threat. Soon after getting information about miscreants preparing bombs at Udaynaraynpur in Howrah, the police and jawans rushed to the spot. 

The miscreants had understood that the police will conduct a raid in their hideout and had managed to flee before the police reached.
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