Additional security from 4 states to reach Bengal

Kolkata: Responding to the Mamata Banerjee government's request for forces, four states have finally responded and around 18 companies are expected to reach Bengal, which will be a major security boost for the upcoming Panchayat polls.

"10 companies from Andhra Pradesh, 4 companies from Sikkim, 2 from Telangana and 2 from Odisha are expected to reach by Saturday," said a senior official of Nabanna, the state secretariat.

A detailed discussion on the issue of force deployment was held at the office of the State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday, that was attended by the Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purakayastha, ADG law and order Anuj Sharma and state Home secretary Atri Bhattacharya.

Purakayastha has been learnt to have assured the commission of providing more forces, while the State Election Commissioner A K Singh has emphasised on proper deployment of civic volunteers.

According to the final security arrangement that has been prepared by the state government, there would be a total of 71,500 armed police personnel and 80,000 civic volunteers, along with 1,800 personnel from other states for the 47,451 polling booths and other election related tasks.

Among the armed police personnel, there are 500 inspectors, 10,000 sub-inspectors and 61,000 constables or home guards of National Voluntary Force, armed with lathis.

Kolkata Police will mobilise 9,000 police personnel to maintain security in and around the districts. These personnel would mostly be deployed in East Burdwan, Hooghly (Rural), Howrah (Rural), Sundarbans, Baruipur and 65 booths and 39 premises under the Kolkata Leather Complex (KLC) police station of the city police. Supratim Sarkar, Additional Commissioner (III) of Kolkata Police, said among these, 7,000 constables including home guards, along with 1,500 additional

sub-inspectors and five sub-inspectors will be on duty on the day of polling.

Sources in the SEC said that every booth will be manned by one armed personnel and one lathi wielding constable. As per data available with the commission, 30,176 single booth premises will have one armed personnel and one constable, 11,000 two booth premises will have two armed personnel and two constables, while 1,000 three booth premises will have three armed personnel and three constables.

The scale will subsequently increase for 300 four booth premises, 105 five booth premises, 12 six booth premises and 17 more than six booth premises across the state.

The distribution centres will include one armed officer, two armed constables and 16 civic volunteers, while the strongrooms will have two armed officers and eight armed constables.

This apart, special attention will also be given to the 11 percent sensitive and very sensitive booths. The campaigning for the polls would end by 5 pm on Saturday.