Tripura likely to deploy over 2,500 police for Durga Puja this year

Police will also use nearly 100 CCTV cameras exclusively for Puja security monitoring.

Ahead of the festive season, police arrested 46 property offenders in the past one month, among whom 36 were picked up from West Tripura district. (Express photo/File)

Tripura is expected to deploy over 2,500 police during the Durga Puja season, where the number of pandals this year will rise by 330 to 2506—436 of them in Agartala alone.

Assistant inspector-general Jyotishman Das Chowdhury said Thursday that police would also use nearly 100 CCTV cameras exclusively for Puja security monitoring. Agartala alone has over 400 such cameras, in addition to other surveillance infrastructure in the other cities of the state.

There are no reports of any extremist movement in the state, but police and the Border Security Force are maintaining strict vigil, according to Chowdhury.

Of the 2506 pandals, 979 will be in urban areas and 1,527 in villages.

More police and Tripura State Rifles personnel will be posted in all police stations, Chowdhury said, adding that a close watch was being kept on habitual offenders. Preventive actions, barricades and traffic restrictions are also part of the plans.

Ahead of the festive season, police arrested 46 property offenders in the past one month, among whom 36 were picked up from West Tripura district. Two people were arrested for dacoities in the Baldakhal area that had forced Agartalites to keep vigil on the streets at night.