Mamata to inaugurate Christmas festival at Allen Park today

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the 12th edition of the Kolkata Christmas Festival at Allen Park in Park Street on December 21. She will also inaugurate the Christmas lightings at Bow Barracks virtually and will attend the pre-Christmas programme of St. Xavier's College in Park Street as well.

During the upcoming festive season, cultural programmes will be organised from December 21 to 30 in and around Park Street, except on December 24 and 25, by various eminent artistes. Buskers' musical programmes will be held at convenient locations in Camac Street from December 21 to 23 between 6 pm and 8 pm to spread the message of the festival's essence.

Park Street and Bow Barracks will remain illuminated from December 21 to January 6. To celebrate the spirit of Christmas, the entire stretch of Park Street, Allen Park and St Paul's Cathedral Church and its adjoining areas will be decorated with decorative lights in sync with the theme of Christmas. Preparations are going on in full swing.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the upcoming festive season. About 3,000 police personnel will be deployed in and around Park Street from December 25 afternoon.

According to sources, several roads have been earmarked as 'No Entry' zones from 4 pm on Friday. Park Street will become a 'No Entry' zone from the evening of December 24 till the dispersal of the crowd on December 25.

A special plainclothes women's police team will be there on Christmas day to prevent crimes against women.

According to police sources, all the nightclubs, bars and hotels in the area are being kept under strict vigil.

The entire Park Street area has been divided into 12 zones.

Each zone will be looked after by a Deputy Commissioner while other senior officers of Kolkata Police will supervise the entire area.

Approximately 1,200 police personnel will be deployed in Park Street alone to avoid any untoward incident. Police personnel in uniform and plainclothes will monitor the shopping malls and Metro stations across the city while divisional mobile vans will be patrolling the city round-the-clock.

Apart from this, 19 Quick Response Teams (QRT) along with Heavy Radio Flying Squad (HRFS) vans will be posted at strategic points in the city to prevent any untoward incident during the festive season. Two QRTs will be there in and around Park Street. The all-women Winners team will be patrolling the crowded areas as well.