KOLKATA: The office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has sought a report from the state chief secretary on the number of state-provided security personnel engaged for private individuals, mainly political leaders and workers, in poll-bound West Bengal.
The office of CEO Manoj Agarwal on Thursday evening also asked Chief Secretary D Narial how many excess state police personnel have been deployed for political figures who do not require such security cover.
The move comes at a time when there is an acute shortage of police personnel for deployment at polling stations, with the first phase of elections in 152 Assembly constituencies across 16 districts scheduled for April 23.
The second phase of polling in 142 seats will be held on April 29.
The chief secretary has been asked to submit the report by 5 pm on April 17.
More than 2,000 Bengal police personnel are currently engaged in providing security to 830 leaders, workers and activists belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
In a letter to Narial, the CEO office said: “For protectees of categorised zone, Director, Security should certify in each case that the security deployed is at par with the notification and excess personnel, if any, have been withdrawn.”
Sources in the CEO office said a large number of categorised political leaders enjoying Y, Z and Z+ category security have been receiving excess state-provided personnel for years.
The Director General (Security) has been instructed to prepare a status report in this regard, the sources added.
Superintendents of police in districts have also been instructed to provide security only to those private individuals “who are under grave and imminent danger to life”, according to the letter.
State security cover can be provided to a private person based on valid reasons cited by the concerned SPs. The SPs will also have to officially update the CEO office on such cases.
The CEO office held a video conference on April 12 with the chief secretary, top police officials, including the DGP, Kolkata Police commissioner, home secretary, DG (Security), SPs and district magistrates to review security arrangements ahead of the elections.
With deployment of the Central Armed Police Force across the state for area domination and confidence-building exercises, the overall situation remains peaceful, according to reports submitted by district magistrates and SPs.
The Election Commission of India on April 3 had sought a status report on its directive to withdraw government-provided security cover for political leaders with criminal antecedents in West Bengal ahead of polling on April 23 and April 29.
Leaders who have been granted bail or are out of jail on parole, regardless of political affiliation, will not be given state security cover under the ECI’s directive.
The ECI had also instructed district magistrates-cum-district election officers and SPs across the state to withdraw “unnecessary” security cover for leaders facing criminal cases.
It further said security would be withdrawn for leaders who have been enjoying such privileges based on their portfolios and so-called threat perceptions.
Alongside, the ECI directed both state police and Kolkata Police to expedite the disposal of poll-related criminal cases from previous elections.
Senior field officers, including SDPOs and DSPs, have been tasked with preparing lists of absconding accused and carrying out targeted raids to apprehend them.
Station-level officers have been instructed to identify crime-prone areas, track history-sheeters and curb potential poll-related violence.
The Commission had also sought clarifications from DGP Siddh Nath Gupta on why so many leaders and workers belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress have been given state-provided security cover.
