The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) to inform it about the sufficient number of officers to be deployed on election duty for the elections to the four municipal corporations on January 22. Submit an affidavit within. COVID-19 pandemic situation. A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj also directed the state government to inform about the number of containment zones in the poll-bound areas.
“With regard to the prevailing COVID situation, the counsel for the Election Commission is directed to examine and keep on record whether sufficient number of persons free from COVID infection are available for deployment at various booths for the purpose of conducting elections. The learned advocates of the State are also directed to bring to the notice of the facts and figures the positivity rate in four municipal corporations, percentage of population affected by covid, rate of growth of covid affected persons and the status of covid in four municipal corporations including containment zones. keep it on record. are going to be held,” read the court order.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking postponement of elections to the municipal corporations of Bidhannagar, Siliguri, Asansol and Chandannagar, scheduled to be held on January 22, in view of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state. The court has fixed the matter for hearing on Thursday.
During the hearing, counsel for WBSEC submitted that the State Government has not declared the lockdown and hence, there was no reason to postpone the elections and the revised guidelines of the State Election Panel take care of the concern raised by the petitioner.
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