Panchayat polls will be held in time in WB: Says minister

With the Calcutta High Court upholding the supremacy of the State Election Commission in holding panchayat election, the West Bengal government today said it did not intend to move the apex court to challenge the HC order.
"No. We are not moving any court," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said when asked if the government would contest the order in the higher court.
The minister today said that the rural body elections would be held in time.
"Panchayat elections in the state will be held in time. There is no reason why the panchayat polls will not be held," Mukherjee said after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, finance minister Amit Mitra, chief secretary Sanjay Mitra, panchayat secretary Sourav Das and others.

On the question of mobilization of adequate security forces for the poll, the minister said, "The security force issue is not my jurisdiction."
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on June 11 had said that the Centre would provide required para-military forces during panchayat polls in West Bengal.
"It (forces) will be given to them. I have spoken to the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) and asked her that she should give a proposal to the chief secretary and the chief secretary will talk to home secretary. I have already spoken to home secretary asking him to give para-military forces (to West Bengal)," he said.