Leave cancelled, schools shut: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan among states on high alert

CHANDIGARH: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, many states have announced the closure of schools, blackouts in border districts, and cancellation of leave of police personnel and administration officials. The stringent measures were taken by Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal and Bihar after India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre that killed 26 people.

Punjab shares a 532-km border with Pakistan, Rajasthan about 1,070 km and Gujarat around 506 km. West Bengal shares a 2,217-km border with Bangladesh. In Punjab, the leave of all police personnel has been cancelled while the state government has shut schools in six border districts, officials said on Thursday. "Leaves should be granted only in special circumstances with the approval of the competent authority," an order issued by the DGP's office said. All schools in six border districts of Punjab -- Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran -- have been shut until further orders. A blackout was enforced in several districts, including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, and Gurdaspur in Punjab and the Union Territory Chandigarh on Thursday evening, officials said.

"Punjab shares a 532-km border with Pakistan. Therefore, the role of the Punjab government becomes extremely crucial during any military tension. All districts near the border have been placed on high alert," Punjab minister Aman Arora said on Wednesday In neighbouring Haryana, the leave of state police personnel and those working in the health department has been cancelled till further orders. According to a communication to the civil surgeons of all the districts across Haryana, it has been mentioned that all officials will have to remain present at their current places of posting and shall not leave the district headquarters.

The Delhi government also cancelled leave of all its employees till further orders due to the escalating hostilities. No leave will be granted to any official of Delhi government till further orders given the prevailing situation and preparedness for any emergency, said an order issued late evening by the Services Department of the government. All district magistrates in the national capital are holding meetings with their subordinates to review health and disaster management preparedness in case of any emergency situation, officials said.

Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan Gujarat cancel leaves

In Himachal Pradesh, which shares a border with Punjab, security has been beefed up in bordering districts, including Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur. With famous temples like Baba Balak Nath, Maa Chintpurni and Maa Naina Devi located in Hamirpur, Una, and Bilaspur districts, police have intensified security checks there, an official said.

The Rajasthan government too has cancelled leave of administrative and police personnel deployed near the International Border and closed schools in five bordering districts. With a high alert sounded in the border districts of western Rajasthan, a blackout has been instituted in these areas. As a safeguard against possible air strikes, the blackout is being enforced from 9 pm to 4 am in Barmer and Jaisalmer owing to the presence of critical infrastructure there. In Jodhpur, a blackout will be enforced from 12.30 am to 4 am.

Flying of drones and bursting of crackers have been banned in Bikaner and Sri Ganganagar. Government and private schools have been closed in Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer districts as a precautionary measure, officials said on Thursday. Ganganagar police sounded a red alert and asked the general public to switch off their lights. All Jodhpur colleges were also ordered to remain closed. Moreover, flight operations at Bikaner, Kishangarh in Ajmer, and Jodhpur airports have been suspended till May 10 as a precautionary measure. Directions have been issued to tighten security arrangements across the state.

Security has been stepped up along the Gujarat coast, and authorities have cancelled the leaves of police personnel “due to unforeseen situation”, asking them to return to duty immediately. Gujarat shares land and sea borders with Pakistan. Ashok Kumar Yadav, Inspector General of Rajkot Range, said police along the coast have been put on “alert” mode after India’s anti-terror strikes in Pakistan. Of the five districts under the Rajkot Range, Jamnagar, Morbi, and Devbhumi Dwarka have a coastline, said Yadav. He added that policemen have been visiting coastal villages and “boat landing points” and urging villagers and sarpanchs to inform police if they spot any suspicious activity.

The West Bengal government has also cancelled the leave of all state government employees until further notice. A notification issued by the state finance department on May 7 but circulated in the media on Thursday cited the "current situation" as the reason behind the decision. The order applies to all categories of state government employees, and even those who had earlier been granted leave will now have to report back to duty. Only employees on medical leave will be exempt from the directive, the notification clarified. In Bihar, leave of administrative and police personnel and officials of the disaster management department was cancelled. The decision was communicated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday during a high-level meeting convened to assess the security situation in the state's border districts.