Bengal governor forms peace committee amidst poll violence

In the backdrop of panchayat poll violence in West Bengal, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday constituted a committee primarily to look into the matter of maintaining peace and social integration in the state, sources said.

The committee -- 'Peace and Harmony committee' -- will be headed by former Calcutta high court Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, they said.

"The committee will address the current situation and look to maintain peace and harmony and social integration in the state. The other members of the committee will be chosen very soon," an official told PTI.

The governor also named Justice Mukherjee as the new vice chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, he added.

Several people have been killed and many injured in poll violence in the state over the last one month.

Around 5.67 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the three-tier panchayat elections in the state on July 8 for nearly 74,000 seats in zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats.

Bose, who has described himself as a "ground zero Governor" has visited violence-hit areas of Bhangar, Canning in South 24 Parganas district before going to Dinhata in Cooch Behar district.

He has also visited Basanti in North 24 Parganas district.