KOLKATA: The Election Commission today asked West Bengal government officials to strengthen security in Maoist-affected areas which will go to poll on April 4 and April 11.
During a video conference meeting to review poll preparedness, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena told ADG (Law and Order), district superintendents of police and district election officers of Left-wing extremism-affected areas to strengthen security to make the poll incident-free.
"Special vigil should be maintained in inter-state border areas. Purulia, in particular, because it has borders of three states," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar told reporters after the meeting.
He said the commission wanted an incident-free election, even in the Left wing extremism-affected areas.
The first phase poll in the LWE-affected areas will be spread over April 4 and April 11.
During the meeting in which officers from other districts were also present, the EC took stock of the security situation and all other arrangements like shortage of poll staff, finalisation of polling stations, list of model polling booths, requirements of special voters like old aged, etc.
Sarkar also said as the election process has started in the state so anyone carrying cash in large quantity should be ready to give an explanation to EC officials, if needed.
"Anyone carrying cash above Rs 50,000 is expected to give us a reasonable explanation about where the money came from and where it is going.
"If we find anyone carrying cash above Rs 10 lakh then we will inform the income tax department which will find out the source and destination of the money," he said, adding that the rules are not new but have been strictly followed from 2011 elections.