This Holi, police would be extra alert. None of the personnel in Patna district would be on leave.

In a bid to maintain law and order in the city during the festival of colours, the leaves of all the cops in Patna district have been cancelled. Additional police force would be deployed in the city to avoid any untoward incident. Patrolling would be intensified to stop rash driving and illegal sale of liquor.

Outgoing Patna senior superintendent of police Amrit Raj said: “Holi is one of the most important festivals of Bihar and the police are preparing themselves to ensure that the festival passes off peacefully and the law and order situation remains under control. The police have identified as many as 236 sensitive areas in the state capital. There would be special deployment of cops in those areas,” Raj told The Telegraph.

He added that a team of Rapid Action Force (RAF), comprising 1,000 personnel, would be deputed in three zones of Patna — Patna town, Patna City and Patna rural on March 28. “We had requested for more policemen for Patna during Holi and the state police headquarters has provided a team of RAF. The state capital has been divided into three divisions. The police would be active throughout the day of the festival. The deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and the station house officers have been asked to be alert. The DSPs have been directed to lead the police teams to ensure that they patrol areas regularly during Holi and the day before,” Raj said.

The police are also conducting meetings with the members of peace committees.

“The meetings with the peace committees are important. We have requested them to help the police in maintaining law and order in the city. The police would keep an eye on illegal sale of liquor too. During Holi, there will be proper monitoring through the CCTV cameras installed in four locations. There will be cops on roads in civil dress, too,” he said.

“The police would keep a tab on the cases of rash driving and drink driving,” another police officer said.