The Centre has been pushing the West Bengal Government to come out with a "coordination mechanism" to help Central and state security forces restore normalcy in Nandigram through a series of Union Home Ministry advisories issued to the state over the past week.

The situation in Nandigram has been complicated by the presence of several security forces, including the CRPF. This is in addition to the India Reserve Battalions at the disposal of the state Government, the State Armed Reserve and the state police. "The state has been advised to use these forces in an optimum manner, so that all of them perform a specific task or take responsibility for a particular area," an official said.

The CRPF, which has deployed a battalion in Nandigram, is functioning under the supervision of the state Government. After its experiences over the past few days, particularly the failure to enter the affected area the day its personnel reached, the force has also sought a "security grid" for effective coordination.

The CRPF is reported to have faced difficulties due to the location of the five camps where it had been stationed. These camps were not necessarily in the areas worst affected by violence, official sources pointed out. The state police has set up a Joint Control Room at the CRPF's request, but the force has been asking for greater coordination and real-time information to function effectively.

When it dispatched the CRPF to Nandigram on November 10, the MHA had asked the state to also utilise its own personnel since they would be more familiar with the area.