Imphal, February 01: Even though the spectre of election related violence looms large, the State Government will not be able to provide security escorts to all the candidates as the number of security personnel to be deployed here has fallen far short from the target desired by the administration.

DIG (Ops) HS Sandhu who is also the Nodal Officer of the election told this reporter today that all the candidates have approached the Government for security guards but the Government is just not in a position to provide the same to all the candidates.

There are charges of discrimination by the Government in providing security guards to the candidates.

The MSCP lamented that while almost all the candidates of the Congress (I) have been provided security guards only a few candidates of the MSCP have been given the guards.

Sandhu said on the basis of the threat perception and seriousness of the circumstances, the Government has provided security guards to 130 candidates.

A four member committee comprising intelligence personnel charted the priority list and subsequently security was provided on the basis of the feed backs from the committee, he said.

He further said candidates in the valley constituencies are provided with six security personnel each while candidates in the hill districts are provided ten personnel each.

At the moment the State Government is facing a lot of problem providing security to the candidates as the security personnel are needed to be detailed for escorting oil tankers and vehicles on the highways.

Plus they also have to be deployed at important infrastructures and institutions like banks, offices etc.

Around 3000 personnel will be required to provide security to the 368 candidates in the fray, informed Sandhu.

The Centre has agreed to detail 30 companies of security forces for the election.

Governor Ved Marwah left for Delhi yesterday to press the Centre to send more security forces for the upcoming Assembly election.

Earlier the Centre had declined the request of Advisor Rammohan and CEO DS Poonia to provide more security forces.

Mention may be made here that Union MoS for Home Affairs ID Swami had assured that the Centre would provide adequate companies as desired by the State Government.

The last Assembly election witnessed a lot of violence.

But the Director General of Police AA Siddique has maintained that the ensuing election would be more peaceful.