Imphal, March 29 2009: All the 20 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces sent by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will be deployed at the polling stations in the remote hill areas where polling will be witnessed in the first phase even as two election observers for the same have arrived today as part of the preparation for the election.

Out of the 20 companies, 10 each of CRPF and BSF which 18 of them had already arrived and two on the way will be deployed in the polling stations in the hill areas of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency.

Election authorities are chalking out the final plan for deployment of them, official source said today.

Polling at 1223 polling stations lying within the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency will go on poll on the first on April 16.The poll process had already begun and the last date of filing nomination papers for candidature is tomorrow (March 30). The state election authority had demanded 69 companies of CPMF from the Union ministry of home affairs.

The 20 companies, 10 each from CRPF and BSF has started arriving in the state from March 23 last.

They were transported upto Imphal from Dimapur (Nagaland) where they arrived on train from other states with the vehicles arranged by the state election authorities.

The CRPF have reported to its group centre campus at Langjing, Imphal while the BSF are stationing at BSF headquarter (Nagaland and Manipur), Koirengei.

All the 20 companies will be utilized during the first phase elections (Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency) which will go on poll on April 16, official said adding that identification of the places where they should be deploy is being chalking out.

As soon as the chart for the deployment has completed, they will be sent to their respective places for the election duty, the official added.

The Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency has 1223 polling stations and majority of the polling stations are located in the interior hill areas which the security personnel along with the polling personnel had to dispatch some days ahead of the poll scheduled.

At least EVMs of 23 polling stations in the interior hill areas will be airlifted.

On the other hand two observers out of three deputed by the ECI to look after the election process in the state have arrived at Imphal today.

The third one will arrived tomorrow, according to the intimation of the ECI to the state election authority.

Observer deputed SR Brahmane who arrived today by air will be based at Thoubal district.

He will look after the election arrangement as well electioneering of political parties in Senapati (including Kangpopki) and Ukhrul.

Observer, A Koteswara Rao who will look after Thoubal and Chandel will be based at Tamenglong, the source said.

The third observer named DVRV Prasad who will be looking after Tamenglong and Jiribam (a sub-division of Imphal east district included in the Outer constituency) will based at Tamenglong.

He is scheduled to arrive at Imphal tomorrow by air.

On arrival of the two poll observers, they were received by the officials of the state election office and concerns DCs of Thoubal, Senapati and Tamenglong have been asked to make all the necessary arrangement while visiting the poll process in their respective jurisdictions, source added.

Meanwhile, state government has received intimation from the Chief Election Commission of India that the expenditure incurred by the state government on feeding charges of police personnel as well CPMF should be made by the Central government in case it is Lok Sabha election.

"The deployment of police forces (of whatever denomination) for election work, with the approval of the ECI, should be assumed to have the approval of the Central government," the official said as stated in the intimation.

The official further clarified that the commission is also of the view that payment for engagement of state police force for parliamentary elections should be made by the Central government and that for election to the Legislative Assembly should be made by State government.

In case of simultaneous elections to the House of the People and State Legislativ Assemblies, it should be shared by the Central and State governments on 50:50 basis.

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