Central Forces Deployment in West Bengal Extended for Another Month

Extension of Central Forces in West Bengal

On Thursday, the central government decided to extend the deployment of central forces in West Bengal for an additional month at the request of the state government. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will remain stationed in West Bengal until June 20. The order specifies that this deployment includes 200 companies from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 150 from the Border Security Force (BSF), and 50 each from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Government's Request for Support

The notification indicates that the decision was made after considering the request from the West Bengal government. Consequently, it has been decided that the aforementioned 500 companies of CAPFs (CRPF-200, BSF-150, CISF-50, ITBP-50, and SSB-50) will be deployed in the state until June 20, 2026. Furthermore, the West Bengal government is urged to provide necessary transportation, logistics, accommodation, and other arrangements for the forces based on their operational requirements.

Background of the Decision

This development comes shortly after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari requested the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to extend the initial two-month deployment period of central forces. The Chief Minister had convened a meeting with officials to review the post-election situation in the state, leading to this request. Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously stated during an election rally that the CAPF would remain deployed in West Bengal beyond the usual 60-day period. An official later mentioned that the central forces would focus on assisting local police in maintaining law and order in sensitive areas of the state.

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