Parts of Calcutta will go dry from Thursday evening because of the bypoll in the Chowringhee Assembly constituency on Saturday.

The no-alcohol norm will kick in at 6pm on Thursday and remain in force till 6pm on Saturday in areas of south and central Calcutta that will vote on September 13. The areas covered are wards 62, and 44 to 53 of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

Calcutta’s eat-and-sip zone, Park Street, is not part of any of the poll-bound wards and hence, will be exempt from the restrictions.

A notification issued by the central excise department stated that no bars, restaurants, off-shops or eateries in the poll-bound areas will be allowed to sell or serve liquor during the period.

The curb will be in force on the counting day (September 16), too.

Guesthouses and lodges in the Chowringhee constituency will not be allowed to take in boarders other than voters from the area till the election is over.

Security

The 222 booths where polling will be held on Saturday will be guarded by 15 companies of central forces. The personnel count at each polling centre will depend on the number of polling booths it houses.

A polling station with only one booth will be manned by four members of a central force. Calcutta police will assist the central forces only in maintaining a queue. A senior officer at Lalbazar said there would be one constable for each booth to ensure orderly queues.

“Calcutta police will only assist in maintaining queues outside polling stations. All other security duty will be performed by central forces,” said a senior officer.