Puja days: About 10K cops to keep vigil; buses flouting route norms under lens

KOLKATA: Kolkata Traffic Police is going to keep a strict vigil on the movement of private route buses to stop them from plying through the areas where major Durga Pujas are being organised as shuttle services.

It has been decided if any route buses were found plying as shuttle then those would be prosecuted. This year about 10 thousand police personnel are being deployed during Puja days starting from Thursday. To control the unruly two-wheeler riders, special naka checking will be conducted at 16 strategic points in addition to the naka checking done by the 25 traffic guards.

A total of 3000 traffic cops will be on the road across the city in three shifts with the majority of them being deployed from 4 pm till late at night."Our officers will keep a strict vigil and ensure that the buses ply on their stipulated routes. If any bus is found violating the route other than following police diversion it will be prosecuted. Moreover, errant bikers will be prosecuted and to control them, special naka checking will be done in addition to the existing naka points," said Pandey Santosh, Joint Commissioner of Police (Jt. CP), Traffic. At the major Puja pandals of the city, more than one senior Kolkata Police official like Assistant Commissioners (AC) and Deputy Commissioners (DC) will be in-charge of the police arrangement. Divisional DCs will be in-charge of their respective areas and will decide in case of any changes need to be done. More than 400 police pickets have been set up across the city.

Apart from the arrangements made for the Puja pandals and roads, special anti-crime teams will be patrolling the city. Also, Special Striking Force teams, Heavy Radio Flying Squad (HRFS) and divisional police control room vans will be patrolling across the city round-the-clock. The all-women Winners team will be patrolling in the vicinity of crowded Puja pandals to prevent any crime against women.