Kolkata Police will implement stringent traffic management measures on Monday to comply with a Calcutta High Court order restricting political processions during peak morning hours on the day of the ruling party’s showpiece annual rally in front of the erstwhile Victoria House, now the CESC headquarters.

Senior police officers have been directed to prevent all processions from moving toward Esplanade between 8am and 11am on July 21, when the Trinamool Congress holds its annual event commemorating the 1993 police firing incident.

Police commissioner Manoj Verma announced that additional forces and enhanced surveillance will ensure smooth traffic flow in the city’s central business district during the restricted hours. Anyone facing difficulty reaching their workplace in the area can contact helpline numbers 1073 (toll-free), 9830811111, or 9830010000.

“Specific instructions have been given to everyone to ensure that the high court’s order is complied with. Additional forces will be deployed, and there will be extra surveillance in place to comply with the order,” Verma said on Saturday after wrapping up a tour of the areas under Kolkata Police’s jurisdiction that border adjoining districts in the south from where rallyists are likely to enter Calcutta on Monday.

“We had meetings with our officers on Friday and Saturday to make necessary arrangements in the wake of the high court’s order. Despite these measures, if someone faces a challenge, they can call our helpline numbers,” Verma said.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of Calcutta High Court issued the order on Friday, mandating that rally participants reach Esplanade by 8am or wait until after 11am. The court allowed one hour for crowds to settle before requiring police to ensure clear access for office workers within a 5km radius of the high court between 9am and 11am.

“I direct that all human processions within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of police, Kolkata, be allowed till 8am on July 21, 2025. An hour will be granted for the crowd to settle down. From 9am to 11am, the police will ensure there is no traffic congestion on routes leading to Calcutta High Court or within 5km of it, where offices are located in central Calcutta,” Justice Ghosh said.

The annual TMC rally commemorates the killing of 13 people in police firing in 1993, when chief minister Mamata Banerjee, then a Youth Congress leader, led a march to Writers’ Buildings, the then seat of government. The event, held on a stage in front of the CESC hub at Esplanade, typically draws tens of thousands of participants.

Party leaders expect an even larger turnout this year, as it marks the final rally before the 2026 Assembly elections.

Traffic arrangements

Police will deploy additional personnel at Howrah and Sealdah stations and key intersections to prevent processions from entering roads after 8am. TMC leaders have been briefed on the timing restrictions and traffic protocols.

Party supporters arriving by bus from districts and Calcutta’s outskirts have been assigned designated parking areas. Those arriving after 9am must wait until 11am before gathering and proceeding along APC Road, AJC Bose Road, and SN Banerjee Road to the venue.

The city’s two largest TMC processions — one from north Calcutta and another from the south — will begin around noon.

While processions face restrictions between 9am and 11am, vehicles, including buses and minibuses, can still reach designated parking areas during this window, police clarified.