The Bengal government has instructed all district police heads to ensure that every religious procession on Monday is adequately "covered" with security personnel, senior officials in the home department said.

In a recent message to all the district police heads, the home department instructed that spots where giant screens will be set up — for live telecast of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya — must have adequate police presence and there should be special watch on areas with mixed population.

The superintendents of police have been told to assess intelligence feedback about certain congregations and rallies under their respective jurisdiction and ensure that even the smallest of incidents are immediately attended to by the local police, sources said.

"Events involving pujas to mark the occasion and the distribution of bhog at the end of the rituals must have adequate police presence so that there is no flaring up of emotions at the slightest instigation," said a senior official in the home department. "The subdivisional police officers will maintain constant liaison with police stations under their jurisdiction and make necessary arrangements for police deployment."

The BJP decided to set up LED screens in several parts of the state to telecast live the inauguration of the Ram temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"A preliminary mapping of the trouble-prone and sensitive areas has been completed in each district.... The deployments will start from early morning on Monday," said a senior officer in charge of a zone.

Against the backdrop of last year's violence on the occasion of Ram Navami processions in Howrah and Hooghly and the violence at Basirhat in North 24-Parganas a few years back, the police superintendents of all districts were told to remain alert.

"Tact is the word. Since a situation can't be predicted, senior police officers have been asked to use their skills and experience in handling a situation that might tend to flare up," the officer said.

Several police superintendents said the thrust was on the use of lathis and tear gas shells to disperse mobs in case of violence. But to avert that, the focus will be on intense patrolling.

"Separate teams of motorcycle mobile and RT mobile vans will be doing their rounds across subdivisions and blocks. Even senior officers will be on their mobile rounds throughout the day," said Avijit Banerjee, superintendent of police, Purulia, the south Bengal district which had erupted a week back following the alleged assault on three Ganga Sagar-bound sadhus.

The police superintendents were also asked to ensure that the timings and the routes of rallies for interfaith harmony, one of which chief minister Mamata Banerjee would lead in Calcutta, didn't clash with those of other processions.

"No procession should be allowed to move without adequate police coverage," the home department official said.