Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday carried out surprise inspections at two police stations in his Bhabanipur constituency, visiting Watgunge and Iqbalpur police stations to review infrastructure, functioning and law-and-order preparedness. The visits came amid a busy schedule of meetings at the PWD tent in the Maidan area. Without any prior notice to the police stations, Adhikari reached Watgunge police station at around 1.15 pm, leaving officials surprised.
During the inspection, he first visited the Women's Assistance Desk and interacted with the woman police officer posted there. He enquired about the process of recording complaints and sought details about the number of grievances received at the desk. He also spoke with other police personnel and listened to their concerns and operational challenges.
Adhikari then inspected various facilities at the police station, including fire safety arrangements. He checked the condition of fire extinguishers and verified their expiry dates. He also visited the lock-up area and reviewed the overall infrastructure of the station before holding discussions with officers. He spent around five minutes at the station.
Later, Adhikari's convoy reached Iqbalpur police station, where a similar inspection was conducted. He again visited the women's help desk, interacted with the officer on duty and reviewed other sections of the police station, including the lock-up.
During the visit, he sought details about complaints registered at the station in the previous 24 hours and asked officers about the action taken on those complaints.
Adhikari has repeatedly emphasised the need to strengthen police infrastructure and improve the working environment for personnel. He has also spoken about ensuring women's safety and adopting a strict approach towards crimes against women, while assuring support for improving police facilities.
Political observers have viewed the surprise inspections as a significant move, drawing parallels with the practice of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was often seen making unannounced visits to hospitals and police stations to review ground-level conditions.
Sources said the choice of Watgunge and Iqbalpur police stations was significant as both are located in minority-dominated areas and have witnessed law-and-order challenges in the past, including incidents of vandalism. The inspections are being seen as a message on maintaining law and order and strengthening police preparedness.
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