24x7 vigil by cops on high-altitude structures

Preventive measure after drama on Sunday
24x7 vigil by cops on high-altitude structures
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

A makeshift tent pitched for cops near water tank in Bathinda on Monday. A Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera

Bathinda, February 23
Following yesterday’s high-voltage protest with the EGS teachers climbing atop a water tank, the Bathinda police have taken preventive measures to avoid any such situation in the near future.
The police has deployed around 50 cops in groups of four at selected 13 high-altitude structures in the city, including shopping malls, TV tower, AIR tower, water tanks etc. The cops will maintain round-the-clock vigil.
Confirming the facts, SSP Bathinda, Ashish Chaudhary said, “The step has been taken after sensing the increase in aggression among the protesters. Yesterday’s protest by the EGS teachers kept us on toes the whole day.”
“Now, in the near future, we want to avoid such a situation,” he added.
As per the reports available, the intelligence wings have also intensified their activities, as lack of information about the plan of the EGS protesters to climb atop the water tank, has been taken seriously by the senior officials.
A CID department official, seeking anonymity said, “We have realised that before the model code of conduct is imposed, the protesters, who have been lodging their protests here for a long time, can go to any extent to build pressure upon the government to get their grievances redressed.”
It may be mentioned that at present, there are nine organisations sitting on dharna outside the Mini-Secretariat, including those of the EGS teachers, unemployed linemen, rural MBBS doctors, police trained youths, health workers, ETT teachers and veterinary doctors, among others. All of them have formed a joint front to press for the acceptance of their demands.