As the proceedings inside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, the venue of the 10-day winter session of the legislature being held here since November 21, and the incidents outside are being adequately covered in the media, a difference worth taking note is the security arrangements put in place by the police.
Unlike in the past, when there were reports of police excesses on protesters and lack of facilities for the personnel, the police commissionerate here has so far managed the situation by doing proper home work.
Although farmers and various organisations staged protests this time too, the turnout was less than expected. There has not been any lathi charge or use of excess force to deal with them so far. Even the ‘Maha Melava’ organised by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti on the first day of the session too passed off peacefully, a senior police official said.
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However, City Police Commissioner T.G. Krishna Bhat admitted that there had been minor but negligible problems faced by some personnel, which could not be ruled out during such a major exercise. He said that 30 platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police had been deployed in and around the soudha in addition to the 3,050 police personnel.
Accommodation for men and women personnel had been made separately at four locations. Drinking water, 100 toilets, including 20 mobile units, ambulance and medical aids had been provided.
Another difference was in the quality and quantity of the food served to the personnel on duty. Mr. Bhat said that unlike in the past, when just one rice dish was served in small plastic bags, a complete meal with chapattis, vegetables, curries, masala rice, pickle, along with bottled water were being served.
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