‘EC team report by weekend’

The six-member team of Election Commission observers deputed to West Bengal to make an independent assessment of law and order in the state ahead of the Assembly elections today wound up its five-day visit and left for Delhi on Friday. Election Commissioner V S Sampath in Hyderabad said the team,which visited several places of political flashpoints and Naxal-affected Junglemahal will submit its report by the end of this week. “The team is expected to come back perhaps by the end of this week. They will submit their feedback to us,” Sampath told mediapersons.

Meanwhile,a high-level meeting was held by the West Bengal government to apprise the police officers about the guidelines of the state Assembly elections.

DGP Naparajit Mukhopadhyay,ADG (CID) Raj Kanojia,ADG (IB) Banibrata Basu,district SPs and DIG and IG rank officers were present at the meeting. The meeting was also attended by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer,Chief Secretary,Home Secretary and District Magistrates

“We have asked the police to map the vulnerable areas. Special forces are to be deployed in vulnerable areas,” said Sunil Gupta,State CEO.

He further said new software has been uploaded by the EC which will be able to guide about the sensitivity of the polling stations and help police in proper deployment of the force there. The police have been instructed to recover arms,he added.