Jamshedpur: With onset of�winter, denizens of the district have started frequenting the picnic spots and different tourist’s destination to welcome the New Year. Places like Jubilee Park, Dimna Lake, Tata Steel Zoological Park, Hudco Dam in Telco and Kanderbera, NH 33 are the favourites.
However concerned over recent spurt of naxal activities in the areas like Patamda, Ghatshila and NH 33 the East Singhbhum district administration has made elaborate deployment of policemen � both armed and lathi-wielding � along with executive magistrates to maintain the law and order situation during the celebrations.
The CPI-Maoist rebels who are active in the areas close to Bengal border and also in Ghurabandha had given a call for poll boycott by fixing posters a day before the polling.� This is the prime reason why steps are being taken to ensure safety at picnic spots.
�Steps are taken to ensure safety at picnic spots since New Year is inching closer. The security arrangements have been fairly strict with about a dozen guards in each of the spots, keeping the crowd under control besides monitoring their safety,� said a senior police official.
While policemen will keep a watch at Burudih Dam in Ghatshila sub-division and Narwah under the Sundernagar police station area, at Dimna, the job has been given to local villagers.
Although scores of holiday makers, especially from Bengal, visit all these places every winter, Dimna remains the top draw. The place becomes very crowded during this season. And taking advantage of the chaos, local hoodlums create trouble.
Last year, the police had deployed 25 policemen at Dimna, besides training local youths on how to co-operate with the men in uniform in controlling the law and order situation. But, this year, there will be no police contingent in Dimna.
Eve teasing is another menace in these gatherings, and youngsters haunt these spots and try to get too friendly with the fair sex picnickers.
Playing games like housie, treasure-hunt, `cheetila aata’, singing `antaksharis’ and no-holds-barred gossips usually form part of these picnics. Children have their own games.
This month is a boom time for caterers, tent house suppliers and transport contractors plying mini buses, as they take the organisational hassles off the shoulders of picnicking parties.