I-DAY SECURITY

Special security for Independence Day functions

 

COOCH BEHAR, Aug. 13. - The Cooch Behar District Police have stepped up vigilance along Assam-West Bengal and Indo-Bangladesh borders to ensure that no one can sneak into the district to disrupt the Independence Day functions.

 

Strict arrangements are being made to check all vehicles and individuals passing through the Assam-West Bengal border, even through the Cooch Behar - Jalpaiguri district border, so that no militant or illegal arms can enter into the district, said a senior officer of Cooch Behar District Police. Plainclothesmen are also being deployed in different areas to keep watch on movements of persons having links with suspicious outfits. Existing check-posts along the Assam-West Bengal border have also been alerted.

 

All police stations in the district have been asked to keep a strict watch on persons with criminal history to ensure the Independence Day celebrations undisturbed and peaceful.

 

Important rail and road bridges and installations are being watched round-the-clock. The Border Security Force and Army were also alerted. The BSF has beefed up security along the 522-kilometre long Indo-Bangladesh border in the district. Paramilitary and specially trained armed forces including the CRPF were also deployed in different areas of the district.

 

It was learnt that police would keep a strict watch on Independence Day celebrations including flag hoisting and cultural programmes in all the police station areas in the district. The district authorities are believed to be in no position to take any chance about maintaining peace on the Independence Day. []

 

PHOTO : Prior to the Independence Day passengers being checked by CRPF jawans over the Torsa Bridge at the entrance of Cooch Behar town on Wednesday.

 

Stoppage of 'Garibrath' demanded

 

COOCH BEHAR, Aug. 13: The Cooch Behar district unit of Chhatra Parishad, the students' wing of the Congress, raised a demand to introduce a stoppage of Kolkata-Guwahati 'Garibrath' at New Cooch Behar Railway Station. Today, by sending a memorandum to the Union railway minister Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav they conveyed their demand.

 

Cooch Behar District Chhatra Parishad president Mr Rakesh Chowdhury said they had organised a 'Rail-roko' movement at New Cooch Behar Railway Station on 9 July to highlight their demand, but no measure was taken till now to introduce a stoppage.

 

In the memorandum Mr Chowdhury requested the Union railway minister to provide a regular scheduled stop of the Garibrath at New Cooch Behar for the benefit of the deprived people of this region. He mentioned that the UPA government had introduced the Garibrath for the benefit of the middle and lower income group of people. A sizeable number of common people of this district belong to SC, ST and minority communities and they are deprived of the facility of comfortable railway journey at affordable cost, he argued.

 

The introduction of a stoppage of the Garibrath at New Cooch Behar may also helpful in boosting of tourism industry, Mr Chowdhury believes.

 

Extension of plying of Uttarbanga Express upto Cooch Behar town railway station was also demanded in the Chhatra Parishad memorandum. []