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Bengal Braces for Voter List Release, Massive CAPF Deployment Begins

The final electoral roll for West Bengal is set for publication, prompting police directives for maximum force mobilization to handle any potential unrest. In an unprecedented move, the first batch of 240 Central Armed Police Force companies has begun arriving ahead of the official poll schedule and model code of conduct. These forces, equipped with GPS-tracked vehicles, are mandated for immediate area domination and geographical familiarization from day one. A second contingent of 240 companies is scheduled for deployment on March 10 as part of the extensive security preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.

Key Points: Bengal Final Voter List Published, CAPF Deployed Pre-Poll Dates

  • Final voters' list published in West Bengal
  • Police on high alert for post-publication tension
  • Unprecedented early deployment of 240 CAPF companies
  • Second batch of 240 companies to arrive March 10
  • CAPF vehicles fitted with GPS for monitoring
2 min read

Bengal: Final voters' list to be published today, police forces asked to be ready for any eventuality

Final voters' list for West Bengal published. 240 CAPF companies deployed with GPS trackers before poll dates, unprecedented pre-MCC security move.

"ensure maximum mobilisation of the forces personnel - Police Order"

Kolkata, Feb 28

As the final voters' list in West Bengal is all set to be published on Saturday, the police have been directed to be ready for any kind of eventuality.

According to a police order issued late Friday night, the battalion headquarters has been advised to ensure maximum mobilisation of the forces personnel at the battalion headquarters.

The individual division and unit heads have been asked to withdraw personnel from routine and non-essential duties and keep them under reserve to face any eventuality amid apprehension of tension following the publication of the final voters' list.

Already, the first 240 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel that will be deployed in West Bengal in the first phase from March 1 have started arriving to the state in batches since Friday.

The first batch of 240 companies that will be deployed on March 1 will include 110 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 55 companies of Border Security Force (BSF), 21 companies of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 27 companies of Indo-Tibetan Police Force (ITBP), and 27 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

It is unprecedented that the CAPF deployment is done even before the announcement of the polling dates and the enforcement of the model code of conduct.

In the second batch, another 240 companies will be deployed on March 10.

Already the Election Commission of India (ECI) had decided that the vehicles allotted to the CAPF personnel, whose deployment in West Bengal will start from March 1 amid the crucial Assembly elections in the state scheduled later this year, will be fitted with GPS trackers to ensure that the Commission appointed central observers can constantly monitor whether the deployed CAPF personnel are effectively utilised from day one or not.

The ECI had already given clear instructions that the CAPF companies deployed will not be allowed to sit idle, and from day one, they will have to be utilised for area domination and get acquainted with the geography of the state.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
GPS trackers on CAPF vehicles is a smart move by the ECI. It ensures accountability and prevents forces from being misused or kept idle. Every step to ensure free and fair elections is welcome.
R
Rohit P
Bengal elections are always high-voltage. Deploying forces early for area domination makes sense. Let the voters' list be published smoothly. The common man just wants development, not political violence.
P
Priyanka N
While security is important, this feels like an over-militarization of the election process. It creates an atmosphere of fear. Can we not have a peaceful democratic exercise without such a massive show of force?
V
Vikram M
Good planning by the police and ECI. Getting the forces acquainted with the geography from day one is crucial for effective law and order. Hope this ensures a violence-free election for Bengal.
M
Michael C
The detailed breakdown of forces - CRPF, BSF, CISF etc. - shows the scale of preparation. The focus should remain on protecting the democratic right to vote, not on which party benefits from the deployment.

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