Shillong, Aug 12: Security has been beefed up in the state ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

In the state capital, East Khasi Hills SP Claudia A Lyngwa said that arrangements for the Independence Day have been usual.

“Conducting of nakas already started in the city wherein traffic branches are working till late at night. The kind of policing that we have in our state, has always been in anticipation of troubles. Therefore the motto here is ‘better to be safe than sorry,” she said.

Lyngwa said that all police stations in border areas have been asked to intensify checking and nakas have been put up in several places, adding that special operation teams are also on the job.

“We want to make the people feel safe that is the idea of every police officer who is in the state. We want any Independence Day or Republic Day be celebrated with a lot of pomp and people have the freedom to walk freely which had never happened in the olden days. We don’t want the city to go back to those days. We want it to be like what it is now,” Lyngwa said.