State police directed to distribute masks on Raksha Bandhan

Kolkata: The rank and file of the state police has been directed to distribute masks on the day of Raksha Bandhan as a part of community policing to create awareness among people to check the spread of COVID-19.

The direction was given to all superintendents of police and commissioners of all the commissionerates during the monthly review meeting headed by the Director General of Police Virendra on Wednesday.

Senior IPS officers including ADGs and DIGs were present in the meeting.

Sources said that the field units of the police will be playing a pivotal role in distributing masks on the day of Raksha Bandhan. It may be mentioned that the state Youth Services and Sports department would also be distributing 5.5 lakh

masks on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

During the monthly review meeting that continued for around one and a half hours, there was discussion on security arrangements for important events in the next 10 to 15 days including Bakri Eid and Raksha Bandhan.

The COVID-19 issue has come up strongly and discussed thoroughly in the meeting that was held through video conference.

The senior IPS officers have shared their experiences on the outbreak of the disease. With around 1300 and 1000 policemen form West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police respectively have tested positive so far. In such a scenario, steps taken by each unit of the police in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic have been reviewed.

There was discussion about isolation centres for the infected policemen.

In some districts those are set up in their own buildings while some are requisitioning hotels and lodges.

At present there are around 70,000 policemen including 18,000 armed police. At present there are 38 units of the West Bengal Police including police districts and commissionerates.

It was learnt that a senior officer from north Bengal has mentioned some policemen found to be positive to COVID-19 when they were tested after returning from a law and order duty.

After the review meeting, the Director General of Police also held a meeting with top brass of the battalions' commandants.