Kolkata, 6 April (H.S.): On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her heartfelt greetings to all. In her message, she appealed to everyone to uphold the values of peace, prosperity, and holistic development.
Greetings to all on the occasion of Ram Navami. I appeal to everyone to maintain and uphold the values of peace, prosperity, and development for all. I wish for the successful and peaceful celebration of Ram Navami, the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the incidents of violence reported during previous Ram Navami celebrations, the West Bengal government has significantly tightened security arrangements this year. Extensive preparations have been made to maintain law and order across sensitive regions of the state.
A total of 29 senior IPS officers have been deployed to supervise ten critical zones, including four district police areas and six police commissionerates — Howrah, Barrackpore, Chandannagar, Malda, Islampur, Asansol-Durgapur, Siliguri, Howrah Rural, Murshidabad, and Cooch Behar.
In Kolkata alone, around 3,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incidents during the festivities.
The state police have adopted a comprehensive security strategy, which includes:
Deployment of surveillance drones, Quick Response Teams, Heavy Radio Flying Squads, PCR vans, and additional forces at sensitive locations.
Installation of CCTV cameras at major points and positioning of plainclothes officers atop tall buildings for discreet surveillance.
Smaller religious processions will be escorted by police teams equipped with body cameras.
Senior officers have been assigned to personally supervise each procession to enable swift action if required.
A senior police official emphasized that close monitoring will be maintained everywhere, reiterating the state's zero-tolerance policy towards any disruption of peace.
As an additional precautionary measure, the movement of goods trucks within Kolkata will be prohibited from 12 PM to 12 AM on April 6. However, vehicles carrying essential and perishable items like medicines, oxygen, fruits, vegetables, fish, milk, LPG cylinders, and petroleum products will be exempted.
Moreover, the Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order), Jawed Shamim, had earlier issued strict instructions prohibiting leave for police personnel between April 2 and April 9, barring emergencies. This step is aimed at ensuring maximum police presence during this critical period.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
