HC Requests Response From WB Government, SEC Regarding Allegations Of Non-Cooperation Made By Central Force

The Calcutta High Court ordered them to respond to the charges made by the IG of BSF on Wednesday, holding that the claims made by the central force coordinator for the West Bengal panchayat elections concerning alleged non-cooperation by the SEC and the state government are extremely serious.

In a report submitted to the court, the BSF IG, who serves as the central force coordinator, accused the State Election Commission (SEC) and the state government of being uncooperative.

According to the court, the force coordinator’s review of the report revealed that the charges were quite severe, especially those made against the SEC.

The division bench, led by Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam, took notice of the report’s assertion that the SEC and the state authorities’ assistance and actions have often been found insufficient.

The bench made the following first observation: “If the allegations set forth in the report ultimately prove to be true, then it would be tantamount to a clear case of wilful disobedience of the order and direction issued by this court.”

The SEC was accused of failing to follow the high court’s decisions regarding the deployment of central troops and the holding of free and fair elections, according to contempt petitions that were being heard.

The court has ordered the deployment of centralized troops at every state voting place on July 4.

The high court ordered the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 members of the central forces on June 21 for use in the panchayat elections, which would be more than was used in the state’s 2013 rural elections.

On Wednesday, the court said that it will make a judgment after receiving the SEC’s response to the force coordinator’s report.

The SEC and the state government were ordered by the bench to submit their responses via separate affidavits by July 24. On July 26, the subject will be heard once again.

The state administration was also instructed to provide a response to the claims made in the report that it was being uncooperative.

In support of the central government, the extra solicitor general argued that the administration failed to provide the force coordinator precise deployment orders.

The West Bengal chief secretary was instructed to call a meeting with the BSF IG, the state DGP, the ADG (Law and Order), the home secretary, and any other officers necessary to make decisions about the deployment of central forces for ten days following the panchayat elections by the bench, which also included Justice Uday Kumar.

It said that the BSF IG, who serves as the force coordinator for the central forces, may attend such meetings with as many officers as he chooses.

ASG Ashok Chakraborty further said that the deployed personnel lacked even the most basic amenities.

In his submission on behalf of the state, Advocate General S N Mookherjee asked the court to order the creation of a group of senior officers who could convene and make decisions in order to resolve all the concerns raised.

At these meetings of the highest officials, the court directed that judgments at the policy level be made, and it said that the chief secretary and the DGP would see to it that those decisions were properly carried out.

The district administrations and the police were ordered by the court to cooperate fully and carry out the rulings.

The document said that nodal officers chosen by the SEC to supervise the election process would be stationed in the same areas for the next 10 days and would provide the committee with daily updates.