RP Sharma

Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, Sept. 30: Commissionerate police are leaving nothing to chance to ensure a hassle-free Dusse-hra festival in the twin cities.

In Cuttack alone, over 60 platoons of police personnel will be on duty. Two companies of CRPF have already arrived to assist the police in maintaining law and order during the weeklong festival.

Seven additional deputy commissioner rank officers, 39 assistant commissioners of police, 55 inspectors, 350 sub-inspectors, 55 havildars, 550 constables and nearly 600 constables have been assigned special duties during the festival in Cuttack.

There will be extra vigil at pandals where idols have been place against gold and silver backdrops, locally known as “chandi and suna medha”.

The police have divided 158 Puja pandals in Cuttack into in three categories for better security arrangements.

“There will be special security arrangements for the Puja mandaps keeping in view the silver backdrops, size of mandaps, devotee turnout and traffic point of view,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

Sharma said that quick reaction teams have been deployed at three strategic locations to deal with any emergency situation.

Closed-circuit television cameras will also be installed at different prominent junctions and on the immersion route from Howrah Motors Chhak up to Debi Gada via Buxi Bazar and Choudhry Bazar.

Besides, patrolling will be intensified in various parts of the city, while three PCRs will patrol on the 18km stretch of the Ring Road, Sharma said.

Senior police officers said that special plans had been made for smooth flow of traffic by dividing the city in 22 zones. One-way traffic will be enforced in the city from 4pm to 12am till October 4 from today.

“We have set up 28 aid posts at different locations, while the one-way system would be in place during the festival to streamline vehicular traffic,” said deputy police commissioner Sanjeev Arora.

Arora said the police would also crackdown on eve-teasers.

In Bhubaneswar, around 33 platoons of police will be deployed to maintain law and order. Besides, the police have directed important Puja mandaps to install CCTV cameras.

“Police patrolling will be intensified during the festival. Besides, concerned zonal assistant commissioner of police would monitor night patrolling,” a cop said.