NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued fresh guidelines to tighten election-day oversight in West Bengal, directing the withdrawal of civic volunteers and Green (village) police from regular duties in uniform during the critical pre-poll period, sources said on Friday.
In a letter to West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, the ECI directed that these personnel must refrain from wearing uniforms and will not be issued command certificates (CCs) for five days surrounding polling, they said.
The restrictions will take effect three days prior to each polling date and continue until the day after voting concludes.
West Bengal is scheduled to vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
Under the new guidelines, civic volunteers may still be deployed at banks and other high-footfall locations such as markets and shopping malls, but they must operate in plain clothes and will be barred from any election-related duties or general law and order responsibilities, the sources said.
They indicated that while civic volunteers are typically required to wear uniforms on duty, there have allegedly been instances of non-compliance in the past, with some reportedly avoiding uniforms in the days leading up to elections, only to appear in uniform on polling day.
Civic volunteers play a role in crowd management and may be stationed at locations expecting large gatherings.
Banks, in particular, tend to experience increased public footfall during election periods, requiring additional personnel deployment.
In the letter, the ECI said discipline among civic volunteers is critical for ensuring free and fair elections. Any violation of the guidelines, including wearing uniforms during the restricted period, will invite strict action, it added.
The issue was also discussed at a recent review meeting, where authorities emphasised the need for adherence to the directives to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls, the sources said.
Opposition parties have repeatedly alleged that civic volunteers and village police act in favour of the ruling party during elections. West Bengal has over 1.2 lakh civic volunteers, including more than 7,000 under Kolkata Police.
The directive has been circulated to all district police units and commissionerates across the state, they added.