West Bengal: Republic Day security focus on metro stations, tourist spots

KOLKATA: Sunday will witness unprecedented security, not only on Red Road where the Republic Day Parade will be held, but also across Kolkata and the districts of Bengal. While multiple teams will patrol the Hooghly to keep watch on the banks, special attention will be paid to Metro stations and places of tourist attraction where crowds are expected to gather.
“Red Road will be out of bounds for traffic from 10pm on Saturday.It has been divided into 20 sectors with a deputy commissioner-level officer in charge of each. Nearly 4,000 policemen will be deployed across Kolkata and about 2,000 of them will be on duty around Red Road alone. The area will also have 10 sand bunkers, 10 watch towers and six protective cabins, along with a dozen help desks. There will be 23 Radio Flying Squads and 11 Heavy Radio Flying Squads across the city,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

While chief minister Mamata Banerjee will reach Red Road at 9.52am, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will arrive three minutes later. The National Flag will be hoisted at 9.59am, following which the parade will start — at 10am. This year, the parade commander will be Brigadier V M Chandran, deputy GOC, Bengal Sub-Area of the Army. The Army contingent will comprise armoured personnel carriers and howitzers. Contingents from the Indian Air Force, Navy, Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police and the NCC will also march past the saluting dais, followed by tableaux.
Kolkata Police has still not disclosed the parking arrangement around Red Road and a final decision will be taken depending on the situation later on. “There will be special attention on places like the zoo, Victoria Memorial Hall, shopping malls and places of worship where large numbers of people are expected to gather on the national holiday. Local police stations have been asked to collect information on special events and rallies being organized in neighbourhoods and make arrangements to prevent any untoward incident,” the officer added.