Kochi: A top team led by the city police commissioner and deputy commissioners will monitor this year's New Year celebrations in Kochi, especially the Kochi Carnival. Earlier the onus was on the assistant commissioner, Mattancherry. “With the opening of Kochi Muziris Biennale, the city has international attention. This year the number of foreigners visiting the city also increased, so we just wanted to take extra care,” deputy commissioner Arul R. B. Krishna said. “We held discussions with former cops who had served in Kochi in the past and formed a framework.”
The cops are also monitoring the seizure of drugs in other parts of the country. "Kochi is not a hub for drugs at present. But drugs are coming from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa. So we are keeping an eye on the drug chain to monitor the sale of the substance," he said. He asked residents to help the police during the festive season by adhering to traffic rules including parking.
Special drives would be conducted across the city to ward off the illicit sale of drugs. Excise department also is planning to conduct special drives including raids at hotels to ensure that no spurious liquor is sold anywhere. They had already informed the liquor licensees to follow the rules. “Some hotels have requested us to extend the deadline for the New Year (celebrations) but we have refused it.”
