Patrolling starts in Maoist-affected districts ahead of poll

Patrolling has started in the four Maoist-affected districts of West Bengal, adjacent to Odisha and Jharkhand, as a precursor to the sealing of the border days ahead of the April 4 Assembly election there, officials said.
A meeting of the magistrates of the Maoist-affected districts of West and East Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura as well as those of the border districts in Jharkhand and Odisha was held at the Midnapore circuit house today to chalk out security details.
West Midnapore DM J C Meena told reporters here at the end of the meeting that the border with East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand and Mayurbhanj and Baleswr districts in Odisha would be sealed once the nomination papers for the election were filed.

Meena said that the officials of the border districts in the three states would review the situation periodically.
The DM said that apart from patrolling, CRPF camps would be set up to sanitize the sensitive areas.
Arrangement was also being made for aerial survey of the districts to prevent anti-socials from outside West Bengal to disturb peace during election, he said.