Some Indian states shut schools, cancel leaves of govt officials

Amid spiralling military tensions between India and Pakistan, several Indian states have announced the closure of schools, enforced blackouts in border districts and cancelled the leave of police personnel and administration officials.

The stringent measures were taken by Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal after India struck what it claimed was "terror infrastructure" in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre that left 26 people dead.

Punjab shares a 532-km border with Pakistan, Rajasthan about 1,070km and Gujarat around 506km. 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 today.

All schools in six border districts of Punjab -- Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran -- have been shut until further orders.

In adjacent Haryana, the leave of state police personnel and those working in the health department has been cancelled till further orders.

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 held meetings with their subordinates to review health and disaster management preparedness in case of any emergency situation, officials said.

In Himachal Pradesh, which shares a border with Punjab, security has been beefed up in bordering districts, including Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur.

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 high alert sounded in the border districts of western Rajasthan, a blackout has been enforced 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.

Schools have been closed in Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan. All Jodhpur colleges were also ordered to remain closed.

The West Bengal government has also cancelled the leave of all state government employees until further notice. The order applies to all categories of state government employees. 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 said.

In Bihar, the leave of administrative and police personnel and officials of the disaster management department were cancelled.