Bengal seeks 300 companies of central forces for poll

The West Bengal government today sought 300 companies of central para-military forces for deployment during panchayat poll in the rural areas for 15 days from June 28.
"Today we sent a letter to the Union Home Ministry seeking 300 companies of para-military forces for deployment during panchayat poll from June 28 till the counting of votes was over on July 13," state Home Secretary Basudev Banerjee said at the state secretariat.
Stating that five types of central para-military forces- BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB and ITBP - have at present been posted in the state, Banerjee noted, "We will have to rest content with whatever forces we will get from the Centre."

Before sending the letter, Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Home Secretary Basudev Banerjee and ADG (law and order) Banibrata Basu, held a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the minutes of their talks with Governor M K Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan yesterday.
The Governor had called the three top officials at the Raj Bhavan to get an idea about the preparedness of the panchayat poll.
To a question, Banerjee said that the state government had yet to receive any response from Punjab, MP and Odisha regarding dispatch of their armed forces for deployment during the panchayat poll.
"We expect some forces from these states," the home secretary said.

Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee has refused to describe the change in the government's stand of sticking to state forces for the poll as a climbdown, arguing that the government had all been in favour of holding the election and that for that purpose only it had compromised with the poll panel on many occasions.