GUWAHATI, Sept 28 - With the Durga Puja approaching, police and security forces are gearing up to ensure that law and order is maintained all over the State during the festivities. Though some of the Central forces deployed in Assam during the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have been withdrawn, the available forces have been redeployed as per requirements.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Director General of Assam Police Kula Saikia said that all the forces on the ground are on alert to ensure peaceful celebrations.
The DGP and other senior police officers already held a video conference with the district Superintendents of Police and other officers and issued instructions to them to coordinate with the puja celebration committees. The SPs have been asked to visit the police stations and interact with the constabulary to give them proper guidelines. Some SPs have already started visiting police stations and efforts are on to improve police-public relation at the police station level, which is important to prevent crimes.
Saikia said that in the days to come, the district police forces would maintain close coordination with the puja celebration committees and train up the volunteers about handling crowd, traffic near the puja pandals, etc.
The puja celebration committees have been directed to install CCTV cameras and make adequate lighting arrangements. The volunteers will also have to stay overnight in the venues.
The district police forces have been asked to augment intelligence gathering, while, to check the movement of criminal elements, steps have been taken to increase security presence in the Inter State Bus Terminus, railway stations, etc. Forces have also been deployed in the crowded market places, said the DGP. He also appealed to all sections of people to cooperate with the police to maintain law and order during the festive season.
Replying to a question on whether there is any threat from militants during the festive season, particularly in view of recent arrest of a United Liberation front of Asom (Independent) member in Guwahati city, the DGP said that the police is on the lookout for the recently arrested militant for some time. He added that though there is no specific input about possibility of any militant attack during the festive season, police and security forces would not lower their guards and in fact, counter-insurgency operations have been intensified. He pointed out that the intensification of operations recently led to recovery of huge cache of weapons belonging to National Democratic Front of Boroland (S) in the Manas National Park.
