ECI fresh directives on civic volunteers, green police use for poll duty
The Statesman | 11 April 2026
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a fresh letter to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal, directing that civic volunteers and Green (village) police be withdrawn from regular duties for five days, refrain from wearing uniforms, and not be issued command certificates (CCs).
The restriction will come into force three days prior to polling and remain effective until the day after the election. West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on 23 April and 29 April.
According to the Commission’s guidelines, civic volunteers may be deployed at banks and other high-footfall locations such as markets and shopping malls. However, they must work in plain clothes and will not be assigned to election-related duties or general law and order responsibilities.
Sources said that while civic volunteers are ordinarily required to wear uniforms during duty, instances of non-compliance have been reported in the past. It has often been observed that some avoid wearing uniforms in the days leading up to elections, only to appear in uniform on polling day.
Police officials noted that civic volunteers play a significant role in crowd management and may therefore be deployed at locations where large gatherings are expected. Banks, in particular, tend to witness increased public pressure during election periods, necessitating additional personnel.
Officials emphasised that maintaining discipline during elections is crucial. Any civic volunteer found violating the guidelines, including wearing a uniform during the restricted period, will face strict action.
A recent meeting on the issue stressed the importance of ensuring discipline among civic volunteers to facilitate smooth conduct of the elections.
Opposition parties have frequently alleged that civic volunteers and village police assist the ruling party during elections. The state has over 1.2 lakh civic volunteers, of whom more than 7,000 are deployed under Kolkata Police.
The latest ECI directive has been forwarded by the CEO to all district police units and various police commissionerates across the state.