Poll panel team confers with Bengal district officials

KOLKATA - A high-level Election Commission team, now touring West Bengal to assess the law and order situation, Monday held a video-conference with the police superintendents and district magistrates of ten south Bengal districts, a senior official said.

The six-member team, headed by Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, also includes Jharkhand Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) D.K. Pandey, National Crime Record Bureau’s Joint Director P.R.K. Naidu and Deputy Director Zaki Ahmad, Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (Intelligence Bureau) B. Shivadhar Reddy and Orissa Deputy Inspector General (Special Auxiliary Police) P.S. Ranpise.

A senior state government official said the team members quizzed the district officials in detail about the law and order situation, the trouble-torn area and activities of the political parties in their jurisdiction. State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta was also present along with the team members.

Later, the team went to Hooghly for a first hand survey of the district.

The team members had a meeting with the Hooghly district magistrate. The delegation will hold a video conference with the other district officials and police officers.

Asked about their visit to Hooghly, Sudhir Rakesh said: “We are sent here as observers and we are not supposed to speak to the media.”

In recent times there were reports of political clashes in several parts of Hooghly districts like Khanakul, Arambagh, Pursura, Goghat, Gangipara, Haripal and Tarakeshwar. Singur, which saw an anti-farmland acquisition movement spearheaded by Trinamool Congress against the Tata Motors Nano project, is also located in the district.