NEW DELHI: The army has been asked to assist paramilitary forces in the patrolling of border areas of western Rajasthan state from May 20 to May 26.
Federal home secretary R K Bhargava told PTI that the assistance of the army has been sought to allow a “little thinning” of the border security force along the Rajasthan border so that the paramilitary force could be deployed for election duty in sensitive areas.
The BSF would return to the borders soon after the elections were over in the country on May 26 other than Assam and Punjab Bhargava said.
The home secretary said 620 companies of para-military forces comprising nearly 62000 officers and men have already been stationed in various parts of the country including the sensitive states of Bihar Andhra Pradesh Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for election duty.
“These forces have been placed at the disposal of the state governments and posted at various districts and it is for the state authorities to utilize them for conduct of free and fair polls” he said.
He said another 10 companies of central security forces would reach their assigned destinations in a day or two thus completing the development of a total of 630 companies for election duty
Asked about the pre-poll law and order situation Bhargava said barring sporadic incidents the situation by and large was conducive to holding elections. The government had not received any report of organize violence so far he said.
To a question on the steps being taken to prevent killing of candidates in Punjab he said the home ministry dispatched an additional strength of 20 companies of paramilitary forces to the border state for providing security to those candidates who have asked for it
The center would dispatch 200 more companies to Punjab once the elections in the rest of the country was over so that adequate force was available to meet any contingency he said
Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991
