Law & order good: High Court told

THE Trinamool Congress government in its affidavit to the Calcutta High Court,which is hearing a petition filed by the state election commission urging scrapping of the government’s “unilateral” notification for panchayat polls,has stated that law and order situation in West Bengal is good and free and fair panchayat elections could be held with the help of state armed police force. The commission,on the other hand,has been pressing for the deployment of 800 companies of central paramilitary forces in the state for holding free and fair polls.

Admitting that some “stray incidents of violence” took place in the state in the recent months,the government’s affidavit,which was submitted to the high court on Friday,rejected the state commission’s contention that its notification was unconstitutional.

Making a case of holding the panchayat polls in least number of phases,the government stated that in the past the panchayat elections were held on a single day upto 2003. In 2008,the elections for the three-tier panchayat body were held in three phases.

The government,which revised the poll date from April 26 and 30 to May 5 and 8,challenged the commission’s argument that the government could not announce poll date under the laid legal provision.