485 companies of Central forces not sent yet: State EC

Kolkata: The state Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Sunday wrote to the Union Home Ministry requesting the availability of the remaining 485 companies of Central forces.

The Home Ministry, a few days back had sanctioned 315 companies of Central forces on the basis of requisition for 800 companies by the state Election Commission.

Sinha has also sought a report from the district Election Panchayat officers about the infrastructure of the polling booths in their respective districts that will be fit to host facilities for CCTV surveillance so that in those booths where CCTV is not technically feasible, videography can be conducted on the polling day, July 8.

The Calcutta High Court had directed the Commission to cover all polling booths across the state through CCTV surveillance and where CCTV will not be feasible, videography should be carried out.

According to sources in the Commission, Sinha had asked whether the Home Ministry will sanction the remaining Central forces sought by the former. If such forces are made available, then in how many days will the same be sent to Bengal.

Sinha while leaving his office on Saturday night had told reporters that he will wait till Saturday late night for any further communication from the centre regarding the availability of Central forces and will accordingly act. On Sunday morning, he sent a letter to the Ministry in this regard.

The Commission on Saturday had directed all district panchayat election officers to ensure proper logistics and effective deployment of the central forces that had started arriving in districts from Friday night.

Presently, the Central forces comprising 20 companies that had been sent much earlier have been doing route marches in various parts of the state, particularly in areas like Bhangar in South 24-Parganas, Dinhata in Cooch Behar, Suri in Birbhum, Arambag in Hooghly from where sporadic incidents of violence have been reported during filing and withdrawal of nominations.

The 315 companies that have already been sanctioned have already started reaching the state.

“We will be able to make a comprehensive plan about the deployment of Central forces once we get a fair idea about how many companies can be requisitioned by the Ministry,” a senior official of the Commission said.

In the 2013 state Panchayat polls, where Central armed forces were deployed also following the insistence of the then state election commissioner, Meera Pandey, the election was held in five phases. In 2013, as many as 820 companies or 82,000 personnel of Central armed forces were deployed.

The Opposition, particularly the BJP and the Congress have been vocal about holding elections this time also in phases claiming that the Central forces available can be channelised properly only if phased elections are conducted.