By IANS,
Kolkata : Intra-state borders of West Bengal will be sealed one day before voting in all the six phases of April-May assembly elections to prevent smuggling of arms, liquor and intrusion of fake voters, said Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta Saturday.
“During yesterday’s (Friday) meeting in Delhi with the home secretaries, chief secretaries, director general of police of poll-bound states and their adjoining states regarding security aspects, the Election Commission has decided to seal the intra-state border one day before the poll day till the end of poll,” Gupta said here after returning from Delhi.
He said the full-bench of the Election Commission emphasised on the need for intelligence-sharing with the neighboring states to keep a tab on criminal elements.
“The meeting between police superintendents and inspector generals of police with their counterparts of the bordering states would be more frequent from now on,” he said.
“West Bengal shares borders with Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The border will be sealed and security personnel have been asked to intensify vigil on vulnerable points along the border. The international border with Bangladesh will also be sealed one day prior to the poll days and it will continue till the completion of poll,” said Gupta.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha has been appointed the nodal officer to co-ordinate with security officials of the adjoining states.
The six-phase elections to the West Bengal assembly will be held between April 18 and May 10.