12 CAPF companies arrive in WB for assembly poll, 30 more to come on Sunday

At least 12 companies of CentralArmed Police Forces (CAPF) reached West Bengal on Saturdaymorning as the state prepares for its assembly po due inApril-May, an Election Commission official said.

Another 30 companies of the CAPF are likely to arriveon Sunday, he told PTI.

The EC has decided to deploy 125 companies of centralforces in West Bengal by February 25 for the assemblyelection.

Two companies of the central forces reached Durgapurby train, one company at Bardhaman station and five companiesDankuni, he said.

Another four companies reached the Kolkata railwaystation by train.

''The forces were brought in from Jammu and Kashmir.

They will be heading to areas where they have been assignedto,'' the EC official said.

One company each will be sent to Purba and PaschimMedinipur, Hooghly, Paschim and Purba Bardhaman and Birbhumdistricts, Bidhannagar, Barrackpore, Diamond Harbour,Durgapur and Howrah poice commissionerate and Howrah ruralareas, he said.

Sixty companies of the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF), 30 companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and fivecompanies each of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will reach the statein the next few days, he said.

''The idea behind deploying central forces now is toensure that there is no problem when campaigning for theelection starts. It is being done also to build confidence inthe voters. Stress will be on area domination by the forces,especially in the sensitive zones,'' the official said.

Coordination and monitoring of the central forces willbe done by a team comprising of Chief Electoral Officer ArizAftab, Additional Director General (Law and Order) JawedShamim, nodal officer of the state police and DIG(BSF) nodalofficer for the CAPF.

The CEO has been asked to keep in touch with theforces directly and inform the EC whenever the CAPF face anyproblem in discharging its duties, the official added.

Apart from route march, the central forces will alsobe patrolling in the night, he said adding the securitypersonnel will send daily reports to the CEO by 8 pm.