Independence Day 2019: Security beefed up in Kolkata, districts bordering Bangladesh as West Bengal gears up for 15 Aug celebrations

Kolkata: Vigil has been increased at all the 23 entry points to the city and vehicles are checked thoroughly as part of the heightened security arrangements for the Independence Day celebration, a senior police officer said Wednesday. All big and small hotels, guest houses and lodges in and around the city are being monitored meticulously to ensure that no outsiders without proper documents get accommodation, the officer told PTI. [caption id=“attachment_4671961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Kolkata police have already started checking vehicles entering into the city as well as those coming to the airport, a senior officer at the city’s traffic department said. “Vehicles coming to the city are thoroughly examined. The drivers’ licenses, valid documents of vehicles are also being properly checked. We are taking immediate action if any discrepancy is found there,” the IPS officer said. The scaling up of the security arrangements is in tune with the security alerts issued by the Central government in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “There are alerts from the central government and we are making special security arrangements for Independence Day celebrations. We are following a standard protocol. We are leaving no stone unturned to keep up the security arrangements for tomorrow,” a senior Home Department official said. Incidentally, as many as 19 airports, including the city’s Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, have been put on a high alert by the security agencies ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has also issued an alert to the police of all states and union territories, along with airport authorities. Besides setting up several sandbag bunkers at key junctures, Special Task Force (STF) unit of Kolkata police has been employed to keep a close watch over the situation, apart from checking CCTV footages from different crossings of the city. Talking more on the security aspects taken in and around the city, the IPS officer said, “unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be monitoring movements of people, vehicles within the city. We have also deployed extra policemen at most public places, pilgrim spots as well as shopping malls and movie halls. Holidays for all our colleagues have been cancelled.” The Red Road, venue of the state-level Independence Day function, has been divided into 14 zones where top officers of the force will be monitoring, as part of the special security arrangements for the Independence Day parade. Meanwhile, security arrangements in other parts of the state have also been enhanced. Security in districts such as Malda, North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Coochbehar having borders with Bangladesh have been increased, an official with the Border Security Force (BSF) posted in West Bengal said. Even security in areas bordering neighbouring states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha has been stepped up, a police officer said.