Thaindian News

Kolkata, Feb 2 (IANS) With the West Bengal assembly polls barely months away, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi Wednesday held discussions with senior government officials and police officers on the level of preparedness to ensure free and fair elections.On the first day of his three-day visit to the state, Zutshi met state Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, Home Secretary G.D. Goutama, Director General of Police Naparajit Mukherjee and Kolkata Police Commissioner Goutam M.Chakraborty at the state secretariat Writers’ Buildings.

He later interacted with the district magistrates and police superintendents of four districts - South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

At Writers’ Buildings, Zutsi told mediapersons that he discussed the state’s poll preparedness with the chief secretary.

Asked if they had discussed the law and order situation, Zutshi said: “It is not an isolated issue. I will be discussing this issue with the district officials over the next two days.”

Zutshi is likely to hold talks with district magistrates and police superintendents of three Maoist-affected districts Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura Thursday morning.

Later, he will meet officers in Burdwan, Birbhum, East Midnapore, Nadia and Murshidabad and finally with senior officials of Kolkata.

The deputy election commissioner will hold meetings with senior officers of the six north Bengal districts through video conference Friday.

Earlier, a six-member high-level team of the Central Election Commission toured several trouble-torn areas and Maoist-affected areas of the state to assess the law and order situation and instructed the district administration and government officials to take necessary measures in seizing illegal arms and to arrest all the criminals, against whom arrest warrants have been issued.