To tighten security during Independence Day celebrations, the state home department will light up some of the vital installations in and around the city.

Home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said on Tuesday the decision follows a meeting with director-general of police A.B. Vohra and chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb at Writers’ Buildings to review security arrangements on August 15, after last month’s Mumbai bomb blasts.

The vital installations include government offices, railway stations, National Library, airport, Raj Bhavan, Victoria Memorial, Howrah bridge, Millennium Park, Vidyasagar Setu, the Lalbazar police headquarters, Shahid Minar and several others.

“We have some specific information from the Centre to enhance security measures in these sensitive areas. We will deploy police two days in advance so that no one can hide bombs in these high-risk places,” Ray disclosed at Writers’ Buildings.

The department has shortlisted some of these vital installations, which will be lit up on August 15 for better surveillance. “Howrah bridge and Vivekananda Setu are already properly lit. Yet, we wish to increase the lighting during this time and we will do this two days in advance. We will also deploy police officers to patrol these places,” said a senior state government official.

Before August 15, police will conduct raids. “At the moment, we do not want to reveal the details of the plan,” Ray added.

Police will be deployed in and around the state secretariat on August 15. They will keep a vigil on the whole BBD Bag area. There will be an Independence Day programme at 10.30 am at Writers’ Buildings. Asked if the department will bring police from outside the state, Ray replied in the negative.