KOLKATA: Even though May 19 is some time away, Kolkata Police recently gave a glimpse of how it plans to ensure security in the metropolis on the day the city votes to select its MPs. Sources said around 14,000 men and women drawn from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), State Armed Police (SAP), besides the Kolkata Police, will be deployed on the streets and at polling booths. This will include CAPF polling booth officials, the headquarters forces, cluster mobiles, sector mobiles, HRFS, RFS and Quick Reaction Teams — both static and moving across the city.Though the city cops are hoping that around 90 companies of CAPF will be available on May 19, they have already made plans for 75 CAPF companies. “This is the preliminary stage and comments on the exact deployment can’t be made,” an IPS officer told TOI. While 60 companies will be used in direct poll work, each with eight vehicles, 15 companies will be tagged as headquarters force, with each getting five vehicles. Similarly, Kolkata Police will be using around 30 companies of its reserved forces, besides 100 teams for cluster duty, 300 for sector mobiles, 150 mobile striking teams, 50 HRFS teams and 50 Quick Reaction Teams.Apart from floating a tender to provide for the bare essentials of the Kolkata Police force , which will travel to other districts on poll-related assignments, the cops have now called for stickers to help distinguish their security vehicles. These will be different from those used by the Election Commission for its own officials to move around. Security experts claimed that this tender made the Kolkata Police’s plans clear.According to sources, two sets of security structures have been devised based on guidelines provided by the Election Commission — one that will be managed by the CAPF and SAP, and another by Kolkata Police. “These are preliminary plans and the EC will have to be on board with all such decisions,” said an officer.“The elections in the city are still about two months away. But the whole idea is to begin early so we can win the confidence of maximum voters,” said an official representing the police brass. Sources said that among the spots identified for early area domination were Shahidnagar area near Panchasayer, Cossipore Udyanbati area and pockets in Entally and Tangra.Officers said the plan is to cover maximum area and all the police divisions. “Each area DCP has been asked to coordinate the central force movement with police action. The instruction from the top is to be visible on the roads — beginning with naka checks in at least two to three points in each police station area, routine rounds by OCs and additional OCs, and checking and frisking. For the first time, thus, we are using temporary bamboo structures which can be used to restrict traffic and carry out checks at important crossings and entry points across the city,” said a senior police officer at Lalbazar.So far, the cops have identified 82 points to carry out checks in the city. “Any vehicle can be searched and the occupants frisked by officers posted at the checkpoints. But this will be random,” an officer said. Stretches not covered by CCTV cameras will be periodically videographed, he added.

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