Kolkata: The Bengal chief electoral office will move to a new address in the SIR season. The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) building on Strand Road is likely to be the EC's new address. This was in the pipeline for long but the recent security breach in the CEO Bengal's current office prompted the change.
The EC, in a statement, said: "Based on the recent breach of security at the CEO's office, ECI has directed the office to be shifted to a security-appropriate location. ECI has also directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to ensure complete security of the existing as well as the new CEO office."
On Nov 18, deputy election commission Gyanesh Bharti visited the SCI building along with Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal and discussed the floor use plan.
The SCI building has around 16,000 sq ft and the EC wants to take it on rent as it has spaces on the first, second and third floors. However, an official said that the shifting will need the consent of Nabanna, as the CEO's office functions as a wing under Bengal's home department. "For the financial implication, the state exchequer needs to give the clearance. We earlier wrote to Nabanna about the shifting, and we are yet to get any reply. We are going to write to Nabanna again," an official said.
On Wednesday, the EC wrote to the Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Varma, asking for adequate security arrangements in its existing NS Road office. The EC asked the CP to arrange adequate safety at the present office as well as the new office.