SEC finalises deployment of 485 companies of Central forces

The state Election Commission (SEC) has finalised the deployment of 485 companies of Central paramilitary forces with the Union Home department confirming to the SEC on Monday of sending the forces for smooth conduct of the elections.

The Centre has already sent 337 companies of Central forces whose deployment plan was made much earlier.In the latest plan for 485 companies, Murshidabad district will have the highest deployment with 45 companies.

The districts which will have high deployment of central forces are East Midnapore and Howrah with 37 companies each, North 24-Parganas with 35 companies, East Burdwan with 33, South 24-Parganas 30 companies. However, taking into account the earlier deployment plan of 337 companies, Murshidabad is expected to have a total of 71 companies of Central forces, North 24-Parganas 57 companies, East Midnapore 55 companies, East Burdwan 53 companies, Nadia 49 companies, South 24-Parganas 48 companies and Howrah 47 companies.

Among the districts in North Bengal, Malda will have a total deployment of 47 companies and Cooch Behar will have 42 companies. The other districts too will have adequate Central forces depending on the number of booths and sensitivity.

The highest number of sensitive booths, according to Commission are located in Murshidabad. However, in terms of percentage the highest number of such booths are in Cooch Behar. Among 5,438 booths, 541 are sensitive in Murshidabad while in the case of Cooch Behar out of 2,385 booths, 385 are sensitive which accounts for 13.29 per cent of the total booths. In South 24-Parganas where the number of polling booths is the highest among all the districts with 6226 booths, the number of sensitive ones is 502 which is 8.06 per cent of the total booths.

Malda will witness the deployment of 17 companies of Central forces.Calcutta High Court on Tuesday proposed that Central paramilitary forces and state police force needs to be deployed in 50:50 ratio at polling booths across the state for the elections.There will be nearly 65,000 active personnel and the state police forces will be about 70,000. The Commission is expecting that the remaining 485 companies will be reaching the state by Friday morning. However, till Wednesday the Commission couldn’t throw any light on the movement of these forces.