Safety cover seals Salt Lake

Kolkata: The Section 144 clampdown, barring the assembly of 10 people at a place, came a day too soon for Salt Lake on Sunday.
A day before Howrah and North 24-Parganas, including Salt Lake, go to polls on Monday, CAPF personnel conducted intense checks at Salt Lake entries-Hudco, Chingrighata and Beliagahata crossings as well as on First Avenue-through Sunday to ensure no hired goons could enter to unleash terror.Central forces marched through the streets and every vehicle was searched in the township, which resembled a deserted war zone. To avoid a repetition of Bidhannagar civic elections last year, when goons allegedly hired by Trinamool barred voters from entering polling booths and even beat up residents and journalists, the entire Salt Lake has virtually been sealed. Even residents have been advised to carry their ID cards around, if possible, on poll day. The extra security seems to have instilled confidence among residents. "With the central force keeping an eye out, we hope the elections will be peaceful here this time," said Kumar Shankar Sadhu, secretary of Bidhannagar Welfare Association.
The Kolkata police have also tightened the noose around the usual suspects, especially the Naskar brothers from Beliaghata, restraining them from entering the poll-bound North 24-Parganas. Ten companies of the central force have been deployed within the city, besides the 51 companies in the Biddhannagar area. Besides EC officials distributing voters' slips being provided with cop cover, videographing has begun for sensitive areas. All police stations have also been instructed to report poll-related violence to the joint control room at PTS. A special intervention team has also been set up to help the central force.
The EC has divided the Salt Lake's polling premises into smaller units. "The idea is to not only step up security around booths, but also the entire area," said an officer. Of the total polling premises, around 70% places have been found to be vulnerable, including areas in Rajarhat panchayat, AE, BD, FD and FE blocks of Salt Lake, besides the canal areas bordering VIP Road.
But it's a picture in contrast when it comes to checks on the other side of the canal-along VIP Road or inside Lake Town, Dakshindari and Bangur -though they fall within the same Bidhannagar seat. "Not much policing is on at Lake Town," a resident said.
But sporadic violence continued with complaints of attacks on two CPM party offices being reported in Beliaghata. At Mukundapur, a resident alleged two bombs were planted near his home.