Calcutta, April 29: The government is yet to get any confirmation on the availability of security forces from other states, with only a little over a week to go for the three-phase panchayat polls beginning May 11.

State home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti today called up Madhukar Gupta, his central counterpart, and requested him again to look into the possibility of sending central forces for the rural polls.

“Today, I had a talk with the Union home secretary and told him that an early dispatch of central forces would help the state administration to conduct the elections peacefully,” Chakrabarti said.

The government has also requested several states to send their spare forces. “If we don’t get the forces from the Centre or the other states, there could be difficulty in posting armed guards at every booth,” Chakrabarti said.

The Centre had earlier turned down the state chief secretary’s request for central forces. Bengal then approached BJP-ruled Gujarat as well as Assam and Jharkhand for forces. But none of them would be able to spare forces.

“We had requested the Centre for 120 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, each having 100 personnel,” Chakrabarti said. Bengal has around 36,000 personnel.

The state election commission today said the government should inform it about the availability of armed forces by May 2. Chakrabarti said the state would only get a “clearer picture” of the availability of forces by May 5.

There would be around 48,000 booths in the three-phase elections.

The Burdwan district authorities today showcaused 650 government employees and schoolteachers who did not turn up for the April 27 training for the elections. “Whoever missed the first round must attend the second on Wednesday,” the district magistrate said.