Paramilitary forces conduct marches in state ahead of WB polls

In a move aimed at initiating confidence-building measures ahead of Assembly election in West Bengal and to get a 'feel of the areas', four companies of paramilitary forces conducted route march in different parts of the city today.
The central forces conducted route marches in different parts of the city including Jadavpur, Gariahat, Ballygunge, Kiddperpore, Watgunge and Metiaburz.
According to sources in the Kolkata Police, six more companies would be reaching the city by Sunday (March 7).
"They will conduct route march as well as patrolling in areas which are sensitive. Police officers from the local police stations will have no role, but they will go to individual houses and urge voters to go out and vote," a senior police officer said today.

"These forces were scheduled to arrive today or tomorrow. But, they have reached in advance. We have made arrangements and the Officers In-Charge of all police stations in the city have been informed," the officer said.
According to a senior official in West Bengal Police, around 100 companies of central forces have already arrived in the state and by March 7, around more 200 companies were scheduled to reach the state to carry out "law and order duties".

"Today they have conducted route march in Howrah, Birbhum, Hooghly, Malda, Balurghat and it will continue for the next few days," the officer said.

The commanding officers of these forces in the districts would also crosscheck information provided by the SPs, he said.
Meanwhile, with 20,50,386 net addition in the number of voters, there has been a 3.23 per cent rise in the number of voters in West Bengal, additional chief election commissioner Dibyendu Sarkar told reporters here today.
Stating the population-voter ratio (at 0.68 per cent) as comfortable, Sarkar said out of the total number of voters, which was over six crore, 3.17 per cent were new voters (in the 18-19 year age group).