Security tightened ahead of I-Day

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 10

Ahead of the 71st Independence Day, the security has been tightened in this part of the border state falling under Khanna, Ludhiana (City) and Ludhiana (Rural) police districts.

Circle Officers at Amargarh, Payal, Raikot and Gill have been directed to supervise the preventive and proactive measures to prevent any untoward incident during, before and after the Independence Day celebrations scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The authorities have claimed that vigil had been enhanced around the venues of the celebrations, educational institutes, religious places and busy markets in the region.

Office-bearers and activists of various organisations had been roped in for the implementation of strategic security plans drafted jointly by the police and the civil authorities.

Station House Officers at Dehlon, Malaudh, Sudhar, Hathoor, Jodhan, and Sihar said the area falling under their jurisdiction had been divided into discrete beats and special teams, each led by an NGO, were deployed for keeping a close watch over the activities of antisocial elements.

Besides conducting combing operations at various localities, the beat officers have enhanced patrolling. Management committees of private, social and religious places offering free or rented accommodation to visitors from other localities have been alerted against giving shelter to suspicious persons and strangers. They have been advised to keep records of visitors to their organisations and verifying their identity through proofs issued by the government.

Security arrangement during special occasions and festival season has always been a litmus test for the administration. As the region has sizeable population of all communities, leaders of radical organisations of various communities have been exploiting even petty issues to disrupt the peace and tranquility, said sources.

The civil authorities have initiated a process for drafting coordinated strategy for making security arrangements on Independence Day. Earlier, Ahmedgarh SDM Preety Yadav had directed rank and file in various government departments to be extra cautious during the festival season.

Sources said frequent traffic bottlenecks were a major factor behind the law and order problems. Constricted roads and streets due to encroachment by owners of establishments situated along passages, unauthorised use of trolleys, carts and horse-carts as vends and uncontrolled entry of heavy vehicles in the town during busy hours were identified as causes behind the persistent problem.