Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be hoisting the National Flag at the Independence Day programme at Red Road on Sunday.
The entire programme would be of 40 minutes after the Chief Minister reaches the venue. Banerjee is scheduled to reach the dais and take guard of honour at 10.30 am.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been beefed up across the state to prevent any untoward incident during the 75th Independence Day celebrations, police said on Saturday. Vigil has been upped across Kolkata, especially in the Red Road. Watchtowers have been erected and at least 500 additional CCTV cameras installed in and around Red Road where the 40-minute event will be organised on Sunday morning, the officer of Kolkata Police said.
Around 2,000 police personnel will be deployed at the venue and Quick Response Team, Heavy Radio Flying Squad vans, and members of combat forces of Kolkata Police will be present, he said. Naka checking at 20 entry points to the city are being organised at night and preventive arrests have been made, the officer said. Police have also stepped up monitoring at hotels and guest houses in and around the metropolis as a precautionary measure, he said.
The programme has been kept short and compact keeping in mind the pandemic situation. The last minute preparation was found to be going on at Red Road in full swing. Makeshift tents have been set up on both sides of the Red Road and there is a separate dais from where the Chief Minister would be taking the guard of honour.
Banerjee would give Chief Minister's Medals to police officers from 10.34 am in which Commissioner of Kolkata Police Soumen Mitra, ADG Correctional Services Peeyush Pandey and IGP North Bengal DP Singh would be conferred with Chief Minister's Police Medal for Outstanding Service. While seven IPS officers would be receiving the Chief Minister's Police Medal for Commendable Service.
The contingents of Kolkata Police, State Armed Police Brass Band, West Bengal Police and Kolkata Traffic Police would take part in the march past on Red Road. There would also be a tableau of the Kolkata Traffic Police. Tableaus of seven state-run schemes are going to be another major attraction in the Independence Day parade on Red Road. There would be tableaus of Lakshmir Bhandar, Student Credit Card, Duare Ration, Duare Sarkar, Khela Hobe Diwas and Jal Swapna schemes.
The celebrations would take place across state maintaining Covid protocols.