Panchayat elections: EC notice to districts calls for ‘efficient’ use of central forces

The Opposition parties criticised the SEC’s move on Saturday, with the Congress warning that it may move the Calcutta High Court on the matter. However, the commission said later in the day that the notice was “for the time being.”

The notice sent by SEC secretary Nilanjan Sandilya to all district magistrates, police commissioners and police superintendents said, “Your attention has already been drawn on various occasions through VC and correspondences by the Commission in respect of deployment of CAPF and effective & efficient utilisation of CAPF in your district. The following instructions must be followed in addition to the instructions already issued by the Commission in true spirit with respect to deployment of 315 Coys of CAPF that have started arriving in the districts.” It said, “1 CAPF shall be deployed for area domination, naka checking, confidence- building measures, international/inter-state check points and for patrolling etc.”

According to the notice, “CAPF shall especially be deployed in the places for patrolling, route marches and other CBMs where political violence/complaints of intimidation or threat have been
received by the Commission or districts & police administration.” It said, “CAPF shall invariably be used as mobile force covering the entire district.”