This PS sans a registered voter to play key role on counting day

KOLKATA: At a time when every police station in the city — 69 of them to be precise — is getting ready for the electoral battle on May 19, there is a strange calm at this police unit located at the heart of Kolkata — the Maidan. The senior officers here are neither preparing ground reports on security details on polling premises nor arranging security for rallies and meetings.The reason is simple — there is not a single registered polling booth under its jurisdiction.

Despite not having a single voter, by a strange coincidence, it is this police station that will be instrumental in ensuring peaceful counting on May 23. The Maidan police, under the south division, truly stands out as a unique example of policing during elections in the city. “It is fascinating that even the North Port police station, which caters to the ghats and banks adjoining the Hooghly, has two polling stations under them (near Nimtala ghat),” said an officer of south division.
But ask the officers here if they are “relaxed”, and they will be quick in saying how the Netaji Indoor Stadium under Maidan police station is not only a distribution and collection point for voting (EVMs and polling officers for Kolkata North will be assigned from here), but also the place where counting will take place. “The training of personnel for the Kolkata phase of Lok Sabha polls kicked off on Saturday. Between May 19 and May 23 (counting day), all eyes will be on us,” quipped an officer.
Like all other police stations, this unit, too, is keeping tabs on model code of conduct violations and ensuring that daily law and order reports are reaching Lalbazar on time. “Ground reports from here will also be important as several vital installations of the city come under us,” said a south division officer, who had served this police station earlier.
From south-west corner of the junction of Strand Road and Sahid Khudiram Bose Road (Old Auckland Road) to south-west corner of Rani Rashmoni Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Road crossing and the junction of Napier Road and Strand Road, the police station covers 4sqkm and houses around 90 men in uniform.
“The Maidan police, with help of mounted police, play a big role in keeping the Maidan area free of antisocial elements and this poll season will be no different,” said an officer at Lalbazar.