Keeping the massive turnout of Trinamul Congress supporters and workers on Sunday for the Martyrs’ Day rally at Esplanade, Kolkata Police have made elaborate security arrangements.
The 21 July rally will be addressed by chief minister and Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, along with other party leaders.
City police sources said that about 5,000 police personnel would be on duty on Sunday, of which 3,500 personnel would be deployed at the venue in Esplanade, to make it incident-free.
The source, without specifying numbers, also claimed that a sufficient number of CCTV cameras had been installed near the venue for round-the-clock surveillance.
Senior ranking officers, including joint commissioners and deputy commissioners, would be monitoring the entire security arrangement in and around the venue, sources claimed.
About 12 heavy radio flying Squad (HRFS) teams along with an adequate number of PCR vans would be patrolling the area near the venue.
Keeping in mind the alleged occasional breach of security for the chief minister, special security arrangements had been made and a heavily-guarded separate gate for her entry has been made.
“Besides metal detectors, a special team of officers will man the gate of her entry at the venue. Special officers of the detective department will be on duty to keep a tab on the entire proceedings,” an officer on condition of anonymity said.
Officers of the traffic department at Lalbazar, however, discounted the fear of traffic snarls on the day as most of the offices are closed on Sunday.
Moreover, movements of vehicular traffic around the Esplanade area had already been restricted, claimed an officer of the traffic department.