SURAT, July 7: The city police as well as the district administration have geared up fully with heavy security arrangements being made on the occasion of Id-e-Milad, which is being celebrated on Wednesday.A procession that will pass through all major areas of the old walled city has been organised with similar processions to be held at different places in the district.With the communal riots at Bardoli still fresh in the minds of the people of the region, the city police commissioner Maniram has deployed as many as 5,000 security personnel in the city to ensure no untoward incident occurs during the day. District superintendent of police B D Vaghela has beefed up security at Bardoli town along with other places, a release issued by the police force said.Commissioner Maniram said on Tuesday that adequate security personnel, both from the city police as well as other security forces like the SRP and the home guards will be deployed on the route of the Id procession that will begin from Zampa Bazaar area of the city at around 3:30 p.m. and after passing through all major routes of the old city, will end at the Minara mandir at Bhagal Char Rasta. While special monitoring points will be set up by the police on the route, 60 mobile patrol vehicles, 10 companies of mounted horsemen and other security arrangements have been made.Maniram said today that apart from the 3,000 strong city police force, ten companies of SRPF personnel, 750 Home Guards as well as 250 trainee policemen of the Vadodara Police Training School will be engaged in the security management. He had directed all top city police officials above the rank of ACP to move around constantly on Wednesday. All police officials have been adequately connected with each other and the control room in case of an emergency, the commissioner said, ruling out any fears of violence or disruptions by anti-social elements. The 3 additional commissioners S P Chitturi, P C Thakur and Pramod Kumar will accompany the procession.DSP B D Vaghela stated on Tuesday that apart from Bardoli, adequate security arrangements have also been made at Vyara, Valod, Buhari, Kamrej, Kathor, Tadkeshwar, Kim and Kosamba, where passions flared up over the last couple of months with a reported increase in relationships between youth of two rival communities. He added that although the police expected the occasion to pass off peacefully, the police were adequately equipped and alert to counter any untoward situation.
