Kolkata, April 1 The West Bengal government proposed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) a reshuffle in the state's police ranks to fill vacant positions, in order to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming assembly elections.
In a letter to the CEO, the Home and Hill Affairs Department said that several key positions remain vacant and need to be filled urgently.
"I am directed to bring to your kind notice that some posts are lying vacant both in the West Bengal Police and the Kolkata Police, which need to be filled up for the purpose of maintaining law and order as well as ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections," said the letter, signed by a special secretary.
The government proposed the posting of multiple IPS officers, including Vidit Raj Bhundesh, Praween Prakash, J Mercy, Makwana Meetkumar Sanjaykumar, and Arish Bilal, in key positions across the Kolkata Police and various police commissionerates and districts.
The move comes amid heightened administrative preparedness in the poll-bound state, with authorities trying to ensure effective enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and maintenance of public order.
Recently, Bhundesh, who is currently the DCP of the Detective Department (Special) of Kolkata Police, was given the additional responsibility as the nodal officer for the Model Code of Conduct for Kolkata North, Kolkata South, and the South 24 Parganas district.
West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases, on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled on May 4.
