The Election Commission has directed the installation of more than 700 cameras on narrow and congested lanes leading to polling stations ahead of the April 29 elections, officials told police and other poll authorities at a meeting on Sunday.

Sources said these narrow lanes often become points of “source jamming”, where candidates may deploy men to threaten or intimidate voters. Real-time surveillance, they added, would enable the administration to intervene quickly and clear any obstruction.

Of these, 248 cameras will be installed across seven Assembly constituencies in Calcutta North — Entally, Chowringhee, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Beleghata and Cossipore-Belgachia.

In Calcutta South, 458 cameras will be set up across four constituencies — Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Bhabanipur and Kolkata Port.

“We have already identified the locations where the cameras will be set up. They may be installed on terraces or balconies, depending on what suits best. These cameras will help monitor the situation on the narrow and congested lanes leading to the polling stations,” Subrata Gupta, the special roll observer for Bengal, said after Sunday’s meeting.

A CCTV camera at the Hari Ghosh Street and Aurobindo Sarani crossing on Sunday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Officers of the city police, central paramilitary forces, and polling officials were present at the meeting held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Alipore. The meeting lasted for nearly two hours.

These will be in addition to the cameras being installed inside and outside polling stations.

A poll panel official said narrow lanes are an urban phenomenon, and the Commission was keen to ensure that no such narrow lane was left out.

“The footage from the cameras will be monitored in real time in the control rooms,” said a source in the poll panel.

A poll panel official said 274 companies of central forces are present in Calcutta, across the eleven constituencies.

Sources also said that the central armed paramilitary forces have been asked to remain alert and respond to any calls within 10 minutes.

“We have also asked the police and central forces to intensify their confidence-building measures so that people feel emboldened to come out and vote,” said an official.

Housing complexes

The Election Commission on Sunday clarified that there will be no bar on outsiders entering the housing complexes where polling stations have been set up.

“We held a meeting with residents’ welfare associations of housing complexes. It was agreed they would help identify people entering the premises. Maids or relatives will not be barred. Outsiders will not be allowed inside the polling station,” said Smita Pandey, district election officer of Calcutta North.

Gupta also said that the Commission never put a bar on maids or medical support staff from entering the premises of the housing complexes.

Six housing complexes in the city will host polling stations on their premises. In Calcutta North, the housing complexes are Active Acres in Entally Assembly constituency; Silver Spring, also in Entally; Lake District in Beleghata; and Arjun Apartment in Maniktala, which will have two polling stations.

Ashok Baid, a member of the residents’ welfare association of Silver Spring, said that drivers and maids entering the housing complex are already registered on the My Gate app.

“There will be no restriction on entry into the complex. We have requested residents not to invite relatives or friends on polling day for convenience. Those booking app cabs have also been advised to board them outside the premises gate,” he said.

In Calcutta South, complexes housing polling stations include South City in the Rashbehari Assembly constituency, which has two booths, and Asha Co-operative, also in Rashbehari.

Rowdy list

In a late-night directive, the Election Commission instructed all superintendents of police and police commissioners in Phase II polling areas to submit the list of identified rowdies in their jurisdictions to the DIG, State Crime Records Bureau, at the earliest.

The report must detail how many of them have been briefed, warned or counselled up till Sunday evening.

The consolidated list prepared by the SCRB is to be forwarded to the DGP by Sunday midnight.