Election Commission to visit on March 21

Kolkata, Mar 17 (UNI) The three-member Election Commission arrives here on March 21 on a two-day visit to oversee poll preparedness and the law and order situation in West Bengal.

Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon and Election Commissioners N Gopalaswamy and Navin Chawla will hold a series of meetings with state officials to discuss various issues, including the progress in rolls revision, distribution of photo identity cards, adherence to the Model Code of Conduct and security arrangements.

Chief Electoral Officer Debasish Sen told reporters the Commission would also hold meetings with the political parties.

Recently Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan visited the state to hold meetings with all the Returning Officers while a 19-member team of EC Observers toured the state twice to undertake an intensive verification of rolls revision in every district resulting in deletion of 1.3 million names.

On the basis of the observers' reports, the EC directed to continue the revision even after publication of the final electoral rolls. It also pulled up state officials for tardy progress in revision and recovery of illegal arms and inaction to alleged intimidation to complainants.

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