EC asks districts to increase surveillance over illegal arms

Ahead of the six-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal beginning April 4, the Election Commission has asked district authorities to restrict illegal entry of arms and seize existing ones.
Following a complaint by BJP recently over reports of stockpiling of illegal arms in different districts, the poll watchdog asked the district authorities to send an action taken report on the issue.
"We have got reports from seven districts and have sent it to the Election Commission of India. In all the districts we have asked the authorities to restrict the entry of illegal arms and seize existing ones," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar told reporters.

He said according to reports from the district administration in Bankura 31 security operations had been launched in the Maoist-affected areas there since last December. Eleven Maoists have also surrendered since November there.
In Purulia, which shares a long border with Jharkhand, checkpoints have been started in 14 places while 24 people have been arrested in arms-related cases.
Altogether 143 persons have been arrested in Murshidabad in such cases. While in Malda poppy cultivation in 11500 bighas of land have been destroyed by the authorities during the period.

Fake Indian currency notes with face value of around Rs 59 lakh have been seized and five persons arrested in this connection in Malda.

In all the districts, a number of arms, ammunition and explosives have been seized so far.
"We got complaints and so we asked the districts to increase confidence building measures," the poll official said.
In the second part of the first phase of polling, nominations of two candidates, one each from BJP and CPI-M, have been cancelled by the commission as their forms were found to be incomplete.
Altogether, 166 candidates have passed the scrutiny for 31 seats in West Midnapore, Bankura and Burdwan where polling will be held April 11.