Protesting Bengal govt employees want central forces for rural polls

After holding a ‘strike’ seeking enhanced dearness allowance (DA), the section of West Bengal government employees, jointly protesting as Sangrami Joutha Mancha, now want central forces for protection at booths, in the upcoming rural polls.

The representatives of the Mancha, with employees including teachers, doctors, and staff as its participants, on Monday, wrote to the State Election Commission about concerns regarding “personal safety” of the polling personnel in the upcoming panchayat election.

A delegation that went to the Commission submitted a letter, stating that “The West Bengal panchayat election 2018, in which many of us were recruited by concerned district returning officers as polling personnel, has given us nightmares regarding our physical and mental safety in this duty (sic)”. The letter also mentioned “countless incidents of booth capturing and attacks on polling personnel”.

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The letter added that after the 2018 rural polls, demand to have CRPF presence at polling stations was raised by several entities, and it appears to be an appropriate demand. The Mancha has demanded that each booth should be secured by a minimum of six ‘CPMF’ (read central force) jawans. For the sensitive booths, the demand is for a minimum of 12 personnel.

Besides the request for the force, the other demands concerning DA, filling of vacant posts under the state government, and merit-based change of status of contractual employees to permanent status based on merit, have also been mentioned.

“We therefore declare that until the demands are made (read met), we will not be able to comply with our appointments as polling personnel for the upcoming panchayat election (sic),” the letter said.

A Mancha representative said that the same issue is also being shared with the central election commission, the state, and the Bengal governor.

On Sunday, the employees’ forum requested Governor C V Ananda Bose to ‘arrange’ a meeting between the employees' forum, and the chief minister, in his presence.