10k personnel allotted to dists

Ranchi: State police headquarters has allotted around 10,000 additional forces, including state police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Police (RAP), tear gas (TG) units, and homeguards to the districts for Holi and Eid festivities.

Around 4,000 police personnel armed with batons, 4,300 homeguard jawans, seven companies of CRPF and five units each of RAP and tear gas units have been sent to the districts. Over 200 police personnel would be deployed under six deputy inspector generals across the state.

Ranchi district has the highest number of additional deployment with 1,200 police men, a company of CRPF, three companies of RAP, two TG units and 500 homeguard jawans.

Police headquarters has issued several instructions to districts for maintaining law and order and social harmony during the festivals. Among them are establishment of electronic surveillance and closed circuit television cameras around religious places, deployment of force and surveillance by drones and videography at sensitive places on procession routes, lighting and public announcement system on procession routes, arrangement for anti-riot safety equipments, action against drugs and liquor sales, ban on playing provocative songs by disc jockeys and checking hotels, lodges, bus stands, railway stations, malls and markets and other crowded places.

Inspector general (operation) and Jharkhand Police spokesperson Amol Homkar said, "Senior officers including commissioners, deputy inspectors generals, deputy commissioners, SP and SSPs have been asked to be on the move in sensitive areas."

Chief minister (CM) Hemant Soren had reviewed the preparations of state administration on Wednesday.

Ranchi district administration, led by Sadar sub-divisional officer (SDO) Utkarsh Kumar along with RAP, took out a flag march on the main road on Thursday.

SDO Kumar said, "People should inform police about disruptive messages instead of forwarding these. Administration is keeping a close watch on social media. Strict action would be taken against those spreading rumours to damage social harmony."

The district has been divided into 10 zones. Static forces would be deployed at over 200 places while 55 police teams would be on the move across the district. DIG-cum-Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha said, "Mobile police team would cover the areas where static forces are not deployed."

Khunti police appealed to people to co-operate in maintaining law and order.