City turns into fortress ahead of I-Day

Security arrangements in the city have been tightened up to ensure that no untoward incidents take place on Independence Day. This comes at the time when preparations for the Independence Day programme on Red Road are going on in full swing. It may be mentioned that the venue of the Independence Day programme was shifted from Writers’ Building to Red Road in 2012.

In the programme, eight IPS officers and two other senior police officers will be awarded with Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Outstanding Services and Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Commendable Services.

Sanjoy Mukherjee, DG (Fire), Ajey Mukund Ranade, IGP (South Bengal) and Vishal Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Task Force) will be getting the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Outstanding Services. Subrata kumar Mitra, DIG (Presidency Range), Amit P Javalgi, SP of Darjeeling, Mukesh, SP of Murshidabad, Shankha Subhra chakraborty, Officer on Special Duty in Chief Minister’s Office and Dip Narayan Goswami, Deputy Commissioner (Security) of the Special Branch will be getting Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Commendable Services.

Verghese Kunjachan, Deputy Commissioner (III) of the Kolkata Police Traqffic Department and Santanu Sinha Biswas, Officer-in-charge of Kalighat Police Station will also be getting the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Commendable Services.

According to a senior police officer, there will be around 2000 additional policemen posted at different places from the day ahead of the Independence Day.

Policemen in plain clothes will be posted at places required and they have been directed to take immediate steps if find anyone moving around suspiciously specially in the places like markets, shopping malls and cinema theatres.

The city police will be setting up six assistance booths at different places to help people when they come to attend the Independence Day programme.

There will be three Quick Response Team and 11 heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS). Combat force will also be on duty and at the same time Drone – the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – of the Kolkata Police will be used for aerial surveillance.

There will six watch towers from where the policemen will be deployed from August 14, night.

Ten ambulances will also be kept ready at the spot. The traffic will be diverted for the programme on Red Road.

It is learnt that the Dog Squad and the Bomb Disposal Squad of the Kolkata Police will frisk the area on Sunday.

Meanwhile, panic broke out in a hotel off EM Bypass on Saturday afternoon when the authorities had received a letter threatening that there will be an explosion. The police were informed. But nothing was found after proper checking in the hotel. The police initiated a probe and security in the hotel has been tightened up.