Civic polls: HC directs SEC to examine ground situation, take call on paramilitary force deployment

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the State Election Commissioner (SEC) to examine

the ground situation in each of the 108 West Bengal municipalities going to polls on February 27 and take a decision on deployment of paramilitary forces.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, during the hearing of plea seeking direction

for effective CCTV surveillance, said: "We hereby direct that the Commissioner, State Election Commission will hold the joint meeting with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary of the State and the Director General and Inspector General of Police within 12 hours."

The court also asked the Commissioner to take a decision in writing "by mentioning the relevant circumstances in support of his decision to deploy/not to deploy the paramilitary forces," in each of the 108 municipalities.

"We direct that the above directions will apply mutatis mutandis in the forthcoming 108 Municipality Elections," the court said.

The division bench further pointed out that a prayer for cancellation of the elections held on February 12, 2022 in Municipal Corporations

Bidhannagar, Asansol, Siliguri and Chandernagore has

also been made but this prayer has not been pressed at this stage. Therefore, liberty was granted to file a separate application in this regard if so desired.