New police station at Pundibari in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 11: A new police station is coming up in Cooch Behar district. It will be established at Pundibari. Locals at Pundibari welcomed the initiative because they were demanding for it for a long. The campus of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya is situated at Pundibari and the new police station will make the area more important, locals opined.

 

Confirming the information, Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar said the proposal of setting up the new police station at Pundibari is under consideration. He hoped that functioning of the new police station of this district would start very soon. It will be the twelfth police station of this district.

 

It may be mentioned here that at present there are eleven police stations in Cooch Behar district. They are : Dinhata, Sitai, Cooch Behar Kotowali, Mathabhanga, Ghoksadanga, Sitalkuchi, Mekhliganj, Kuchlibari, Haldibari, Tufanganj and Baxirhat. There are two outposts too – one in Cooch Behar Sadar and another at Nishiganj. Apart from these there is an investigation centre (IC) in this district. It is situated at Nayarhat in Dinhata. The Nayarhat IC is different from other outposts because it can investigate cases that are lodged here, the SP said.

 

Cooch Behar district needs a large contingent of reserve force because it is situated at a strategic position. It has borders with Bangladesh and Assam. As militant outfits of north Bengal and northeast states are using this district, as corridor to go Bhutan, Bangladesh and Assam the security of this area needs to be beefed up.

 

Recently, three suspected KLO activists were arrested from Baxirhat near West Bengal-Assam border. Firearms, ammunitions, maps and other documents were seized from their possession. Interrogating them the police came to a conclusion that the KLO is trying to reorganise its base in this region. Recruiting new entrants they may send them to the training camps in underground as they did earlier. A large police force is required to combat the situation, senior officials believe.

 

It was observed on various occasions that additional armed forces were brought in from outer districts and even from outer provinces to assist Cooch Behar District Police to maintain law and order. But, this district still suffers form adequate force. When asked, Cooch Behar SP Mr Kumar too admitted that the number of police personnel is less than the required number but he failed to affirm whether new forces are coming to fill the vacant posts. []