BJP bandh: State govt to ensure normal life is not disrupted

Update: 2018-09-25 18:17 GMT

Kolkata: All District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police were directed to take immediate steps if anyone attempts to bring normal livelihood to a standstill in any part of the state on Wednesday, when BJP has called a 12-hour bandh.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had clearly stated that there will be no bandh in the state and had directed the state administration to take all necessary steps to ensure that daily life doesn't get disrupted.

Following direction of the Chief Minister, the Group of Ministers (GoM) held a meeting on Monday at Nabanna. Senior administrative officers and police officers were also present in the meeting and a plan has been chalked out to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in any part of the state.

Anuj Sharma, ADG (Law and Order), said: "All the Superintendents of Police have been asked to take necessary measures to avoid deterioration of the law and order situation on Wednesday."

Directions have also been given to take steps so that no restrictions come up for normal operation of vehicles. At the same time, steps have also been taken so that no hindrances are caused in normal functioning of schools, colleges and other institutions. Steps will also be taken to ensure that no one can forcefully close shops and marketplaces.

Directions have been given to District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to take immediate steps if anyone is found attempting to stop buses and other vehicles, causing inconvenience to common people.

Similar steps will also be taken if anyone is found instigating trouble in any part of the state. The police will be maintaining strong vigil to keep a check on attempts of spreading rumours. There will also be vigil on social media, which is often used to spread rumours. Immediate and strict measures will be taken by the police if anyone is caught spreading rumours with an intention to create disturbance in the state.

Additional policemen will be deployed at strategic locations so that they can take immediate steps if anyone tries to bring normal livelihood to a standstill. Policemen will be posted at marketplaces, shopping malls and other important installations.

Senior officials of the state government will be monitoring the entire situation from the state secretariat.

The state Transport department has also taken several measures to ensure that people do not face any trouble in reaching their destinations on Wednesday. Lack of public transport service earlier used to turn up as one of the important reasons behind the success of a bandh, as people hardly used to get vehicles to reach their destinations on such days. But, such scenarios has become a matter of the past with the change of guard in the state, as the Mamata Banerjee government has ensured availability of sufficient buses and other public transport, on the days bandhs were called in the past seven years.

On Wednesday, the state Transport department will operate 2,600 buses and 50 vessels on different routes of inland waterways. The department has also arranged an insurance policy with a maximum compensation of Rs 6 lakh, in case a vehicle is damaged on the day of the bandh.

Meanwhile, some private schools in the city affiliated to the ICSE and CBSE boards have postponed their scheduled examinations, while a few of them like Mahadevi Birla Sishu Academy will remain closed on Wednesday.

DPS Ruby Park's junior section will remain closed while the senior section will remain open. However, examinations for the senior students have been postponed. The three schools in the city under the Ashok Hall group will remain open but all examinations will remain cancelled.

The La Martiniere School in Kolkata has rescheduled its timing due to the bandh. South Point School will remain open but parents have been notified to send their wards as per their discretion, depending upon local conditions. The universities in the state will remain open and examinations, if any, will also be held as per schedule.

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