Police tighten security for New year celebrations in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Gujarat to avoid any untoward incident during New Year celebrations, including setting up of check posts to prevent liquor smuggling in border areas, officials said on Tuesday.

A senior police officer said 6,000 personnel were deployed in Ahmedabad while security is enhanced at popular spots.

Police are checking vehicles at the inter-state borders and will check liquor and drug consumption through breath analysers and mobile analyser kits.

“Around 6,000 policemen have been deployed across Ahmedabad who will remain ‘stand-to’ from 6 pm (of December 31) till the morning of January 1. Vehicles are being checked in areas under all the police stations,” said Ahmedabad Additional Commissioner of Police, sector-1, Neeraj Badgujar.

He said security is being enhanced at places with high footfall such as SG Highway, CG Road, Sabarmati Riverfront and Sindhu Bhavan Road. A DCP-level officer will be deployed at these places to guide on-duty police personnel, including those in civvies.

Police have also extended vigil outside hotels, open plots, and farmhouses to prevent illegal activities.

Badgujar said interceptor vehicles are also deployed to nab persons doing stunts on the roads.

“Similar arrangements have been made in other cities. In Vadodara, police have launched a drive against drunk driving using nearly 250 breathalyser sets,” said police commissioner Narsimha Komar.

As Gujarat is a ‘dry’ state where liquor sale and consumption are banned, special security arrangements have been made in Banaskantha and Arvalli districts which share borders with Rajasthan.

Arvalli district police has set up 10 inter-state check posts, including at the Shamlaji-Ratanpur border, said district Superintendent of Police, Shaifali Barwal.

“Apart from these 10 inter-state check posts, 29 check posts are also created within Arvalli district. Vehicles are being checked at those points. We have deployed nearly 520 policemen under the supervision of an Assistant Superintendent of Police. People coming from Rajasthan are being checked using breath analysers,” said Barwal.

Banaskantha Police are keeping a close watch to thwart any attempt to smuggle liquor into Gujarat from the Rajasthan border, said police inspector SK Parmar.

“Nearly 50 policemen are checking all the suspicious vehicles entering Gujarat through the Amirgadh check post. We are also using breath analysers to detect liquor consumption. This month, we had booked 99 persons after they were found to be under the influence of alcohol while entering Gujarat from here,” he said.