BSF to deploy 160 companies for Bengal elections

Kolkata, Mar 28 (UNI) The Border Security Force (BSF) will withdraw part of its forces from the border areas for deployment in unterior areas during the coming Assembly elections.

Altogether 160 companies will be deployed in West Bengal as per the Election Commission recommendations, BSF Director General A K Mitra told reporters here today.

Part of it will be drawn from the South Bengal frontier and part from Manipur and other border areas, he said.

To make up for the loss of force in the border areas, the area of operation of the remaining forces will be increased, he said.

''We have also stopped utilising our staff for miscellaneous duties. We have provided 100 odd vehicles to the South Bengal frontier for efficient patrolling, '' he said.

As part of the modernisation efforts, the BSF had also engaged night-vision surveillance and purchasing mobile jammers for border areas from BHEL, he said.

He said the Election Commission had asked for 600-700 companies for manning the elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, which will be provided by BSF and CRPF.

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