State sets up panel to help with forces’ deployment

“The group will coordinate the deployment of central paramilitary forces in connection with elections and ensure timely deinduction. The group will also assist in making necessary arrangements for accommodation,transport and other logistic suport to the forces,” the note further said.

It also said that the CRPF will coordinate the movement and deployment of state armed police forces secured from other states.

Meanwhile out of 100 companies of paramilitary forces that the MHA has promised to send to the state for deployment,82 companies have already arrived and sent to different districts for flag march.

“The remaining companies will come in a day or two. We asked for 800 companies of central paramilitary forces for the elections but we have not yet been informed how many we will get,” said Home Secretary GD Gautama.

The Centre has withdrawn two companies of BSF and one company of CRPF from Darjeeling that were sent there after trouble erupted in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling following police firing on Gorkha Janmukti Morcha activists at Sipchu in Jalpaiguri. “We will send a few companies from the 100 we are going to have,” chief secretary Samar Ghosh said on Thursday.