The Hindu : National : EC: highest allotment of forces for West Bengal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 29, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

EC: highest allotment of forces for West Bengal

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: West Bengal will have the highest allotment of the Central forces during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls , Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath said here on Tuesday.

In all 220 companies of the Central forces are being allotted for West Bengal. The forces would take up critical mobile positions acting as flying squads. There would be air-vigil by helicopters and West Bengal’s borders with Jharkhand and Assam were being sealed.

The places where these forces would be deployed include Darjeeling, Malda, and in Keshpur and Sabong in Purba Medinipur, and Pingla and Chandrakona in Paschim Medinipur. The concentration of the forces would be in the Maoist-hit areas, he said.

It was also decided to press into service three helicopters as part of the security arrangements being made in the State, where the first of the three-phase poll process begins on April 30. To a question on Lalgarh, the EC said: “We are fully confident of conducting free and fair polls in every polling station there.”

Mr. Sampath said that it was decided to appoint four additional observers — two in Ghatal, one in Bishnupur and one in Darjeeling for better monitoring of the poll-process and also to ensure enforcement of the election code.

The forces, which have been moved already, were being deployed based on the assessment made by the State government and also on account of the naxalite threat, R. Balakrishnan Deputy Chief Election Commissioner said.The Election Commissioner said that instructions were given for vulnerability mapping. A communication system was put in place to enable the Chief Electoral Officer to establish contact with a polling station within 15 minutes of any development.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National