CAPF staff will be deployed to all Assembly constituencies weeks before Bihar election (file)
New Delhi:
Three hundred companies from the central armed police have been selected by the Interior Ministry to be sent to Bihar to help with national elections next month. The 30,000 central police personnel will help Bihar’s police force the elections to run smoothly, officials said.
“The state government is being recruited to develop the detailed deployment plan in consultation with the CAPF. The movement and deployment of all would be coordinated by the CRPF,” the Interior Ministry said in the order, adding that arrangements should be made within the framework of COVID-19 security. guidelines.
There are 38 districts in Bihar and according to the Interior Ministry 40 percent of these districts are affected by “left extremism”. Gaya, Aurangabad, Jamui, Jehanabad and Lakhisarai are the most affected by LWE, the interior ministry said.
“While the CRPF will coordinate the movement of the forces, they have been asked to disintegrate the forces as soon as possible so that they can start exercises in area domination and confidence building in those areas,” said a senior official. responsible, referring to the Central Reserve Police Force.
The official said CAPF battalions would reach Bihar during the first week of October and would be deployed to the 243 Assembly constituencies. “The next two months is festival season, so the forces on the ground should be more alert,” another official said.
Intelligence agencies have also issued general alerts for the movement of battalions from one district to another, especially in areas infested by Maoists.
According to the deployment plan, the areas affected by the Maoists would be given priority as they need intensive days of patrol before the vote. Voting in most of the LWE-affected areas is in the first phase on October 28.
In total, 80 companies of the CRPF, 50 companies of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 30 companies of the Indo-Tibetan border police (ITBP), 55 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), 70 companies de Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and 15 companies of the Railroad Protection Force (RPF) are likely to reach Bihar.
In the last assembly election in 2015, the state asked 726 CAPF companies to assist in the six-phase election.
“The purpose of such a deployment is also to build confidence among the people and instill fear among criminals and anti-social elements so that the balloting takes place in a peaceful, free and fair manner,” said an officer.
