EC tightens vigil in Bengal ahead of polls; senior police officers start police station visit
Kolkata (PTI): Senior police officials began visiting police stations across West Bengal from Sunday as the Election Commission stepped up monitoring of poll preparedness and security arrangements in the poll-bound state.
During these visits, officers in charge of police stations are being briefed on measures needed to be taken for holding free and fair polling.
In line with directives from the poll panel, police commissioners and superintendents of police have started visiting police stations to review law and order arrangements ahead of the ensuing elections, an official from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's office said.
"Senior officers have been instructed to conduct ground-level assessments and guide local police units to ensure a peaceful, free and fair electoral process," he said.
Police authorities are also expected to send out a strong message on maintaining an environment free of fear and violence.
"The focus is on building confidence among voters and strict enforcement of measures to curb any attempt at malpractice, including booth capturing or intimidation," the official added.
Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is slated on April 23 and 29, while the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
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Security personnel unearth country-made gun making unit set by Maoists in Odisha's Kandhamal
Phulbani (PTI): Security forces unearthed a country-made gun factory allegedly run by Maoists in Odisha's Kandhamal district during an operation, police said on Sunday.
The BSF personnel stationed at Balliguda in the district unearthed the gun manufacturing unit while engaged in combing operation in Panaspadar village under Bamunigaon police station limit in the district on Saturday, said Shubham Bhosale, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Balliguda.
According to the police, the BSF personnel seized some finished country-made single-barrel guns, barrels, cutters and other gun manufacturing parts from the site.
Combing operation in Daringbadi, Kotagarh, Tumudibandha, Bamunigam and other police station areas in Kandhamal district was intensified since last week to apprehend hardcore Maoist Sukru and his associates, who belong to the KKBN (Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh) group, the police said.
Security personnel from SOG, BSF, CRPF and other forces were pressed into the anti-Maoist operation in an organised manner in an effort to achieve the target to eliminate Maoists by the end of this month, they said.
