Kolkata, Aug. 5 -- In an unannounced inspection that caught many off guard, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday visited two Kolkata police stations and the Headquarters Fire Station to assess the on-ground preparedness, infrastructure and operational readiness of the police and fire services.

On Wednesday afternoon, after attending a programme at the PWD tent on the Maidan, Adhikari was scheduled to return to his Chinar Park residence. However, in a surprise move, his convoy suddenly veered towards the Kolkata Police Port Division instead. The change in route left officials guessing, and within minutes, the Chief Minister drove into the premises of Watgunge Police Station for an unannounced inspection, catching officers by surprise as he began assessing the station's functioning and preparedness.

After entering the police station, Adhikari checked the administrative logs and registers, including the one at the women's helpdesk.

He also reviewed the infrastructural arrangements, including the CCTV cameras installed at the police station. After going through the official documents, the Chief Minister went to the first floor and checked the rooms and the lock-ups. Before leaving, Adhikari gave multiple suggestions to the OC and also directed him to focus more on prompt action.

From Watgunge, the Chief Minister went to Ekbalpore Police Station where he reviewed the registers and interacted with the police personnel. Following his evaluation of the police stations, Adhikari's convoy proceeded to the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar. There, the Chief Minister met the Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, Ajay Nand and held a brief discussion.

From Lalbazar, Adhikari went to Mirza Ghalib Street for a similar unannounced inspection of the Headquarters fire station. At the state Fire and Emergency Services headquarters, the Chief Minister checked the register and interacted with the on duty staff members seeking clarification about several issues. Later, he convened an operational review meeting with Additional Chief Secretary Khalil Ahmed and other senior officials of the department.

The high-level review centered heavily on emergency readiness, modernizing rescue gears, and shortening the emergency response time

across the city.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.