Kolkata: Central forces have their task cut out

KOLKATA: The central forces — assigned with the primary duty of ensuring peaceful elections in the city with the city police largely playing a secondary and supportive role — will have its task cut out on Sunday with the election commission setting certain stiff goals for them.
According to the final security arrangement, the response time to any incident on polling day has to be between five to seven minutes of receiving the information.If the response to the incident stretches beyond 15 minutes, adequate departmental actions will follow.
Central force personnel stand guard in the Garden Reach area
The Quick Reaction Teams — about 176 of which will be operational in the city — will comprise eight CAPF men and a local cop to guide them. “While the CAPF will secure the polling booths, the first respondent to any incident will be the QRTs. Depending on the situation, they may call for backup,” explained an officer.
The city is expected to be turned in to a fortress with each police station area (a total of 70) in Kolkata operating anywhere between 12-14 vehicles. Besides the QRTs, the team will have vehicles of the sectoral officers and micro-observers.
“The respective police station will have a patrol (RT) vehicle and two bikes at its independent disposal. All other vehicles on the rounds will either have CAPF or EC officials moving in them,” explained a cop. No one will be allowed to assemble within 200 metres of the booth.
Sources in Kolkata Police said that several SOPs, followed over the years, are being restructured on war footing. “The last moment frenzy though are keeping the lower and middle level officers confused,” said a police source.
Cops said that they are mounting special vigilance on all Kolkata hotels. The slums in Ballygunge and Dhakuria in Kolkata South, areas like Cossoipore, Beliaghata, Burrabazar and Entally in Kolkata North, Panchasayar, Purba Jadavpur, Bhangar and Baruipur in Jadavpur and Metiabruz under Diamond Harbour constituencies will be monitored closely.
To deal with any kind of clash and other problems, 53 flying squad teams and 60 static squad teams (SST) have been set up. Apart from patrolling, there will be 180 pickets and 80 nakas. There will also be a special mobile striking force led by by IPS officers.