Mamata Banerjee fears Bulandshahr-like act in state, sounds alerts

Kolkata: Worried over the violence at Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday ordered the police and the administration to be cautious to thwart any lynching in the state. She was speaking at the administrative review meeting in West Midnapore. The Trinamul Congress supremo wondered why the district administration officials failed to curb sand mining.

"You have to keep an watch along the borders, specially with Jharkhand and Odisha because it starts from Jhargram and passes by your jurisdiction. Look at it carefully. CCTVs and watch towers have to be set up. If you need these facilities to cover this area, you will send your requirements straight to the director general of police (DGP)," she told police officials.

She then took the name of security advisor Surajit Kar Purkayastha, former DGP, sitting next to present DGP Virendra to look into the issue. "Some people want to trigger riots always. They also try to spread canards and cary out lynching. Just a day before we saw a police officer who was the investigating officer in a lynching case was murdered in Bulandshahr," Ms Banerjee added.

"Those who are posted as inspector-in-charge have to keep an eye on it. Do you have a list of schools, ICDS centres, temples, mosques and gurudwaras and maps in your respective areas," she asked the officials present at the meeting. West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria replied that all records are maintained. Ms Banerjee however expressed her dissappointment over the illegal sand mining activity.

"How can illegal sand mining continue still when there are so many officers are posted here? Some local mafias in glove with some administration officials are running it. Thus corruption prevails. I want our anti-corruption branch to be strengthened to keep a tab and catch the culprits red-handed," she noted lashing out at the land and land reform department officials.

The chief minister announced that up to four-wheeled cargo carriers would be allowed to ply in rural roads in the state to stop damage to them from larger vehicles. She pointed out that it came to her notice that large trucks were using these village roads to bypass toll booths on highways to avoid payment of tax. Ms Banerjee asked the local authorities to place barricades at entry points to the village roads to stop plying of large vehicles.