Kolkata:
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) to demand more than 82,000 Central Armed Forces personnel for deployment in panchayat elections within 24 hours.
A divisional bench chaired by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam noted that the SEC had requisitioned 82,000 Central Armed Forces personnel during the 2013 panchayat elections in the state.
The SEC informed the court that it has so far claimed six companies of central troops for the July 8 panchayat polls.
Noting that the number of districts in West Bengal has increased from 17 in 2013 to 22 now, and also that the number of voters has increased in these 10 years, the court ordered the SEC to force a sufficient number of Central Forces staff within 24 hours.
The court ruled that the number of companies to be claimed must be greater than that for the 2013 elections.
The court notes that any attempt to render the order unworkable may have adverse consequences.
The SEC attorney argued that whatever the court thinks will suffice, the claim for that will be immediately sent to the central government.
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