BANGALORE: The State Government has geared up to meet any exigency, including law and order problems, in connection with the bandh called by the Kannada organisations on Wednesday.

A large police force has also been drawn from the neighbouring States, particularly Tamil Nadu, and they would be deployed in various trouble-prone areas.

The Government has declared a holiday to all government schools in Bangalore as a precautionary measure. The Deputy Commissioners have been authorised to take a decision in their respective areas based on the law and order situation.

Private schools have also been instructed to take a decision keeping in mind the local conditions.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has expressed his disapproval of the bandh and called upon the pro-Kannada organisations to withdraw the bandh call since in his view it was unwarranted. "The State has already sent across a strong message to the Government of Maharashtra by holding a special session of the legislature in Belgaum recently," he told presspersons in Mysore.

The focus of the bandh is to convey to the Union Government and to Maharashtra that Belgaum is an integral part of Karnataka and all Kannadigas are united on this.

Chief Secretary to the State Government Malathi Das chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials to discuss the preparedness of the State machinery in connection with the bandh.

Among those who attended the meeting were Director-General and Inspector-General of Police B.S. Sial, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, N. Achuta Rao, and the Principal Secretaries of the departments of Home and Transport and Revenue. Top officials of KSRTC, BMTC and the Education Department were also present.

Additional Director-General of Police, Law and Order, Shankar M. Bidari said the police across the State had made elaborate security arrangements.

The nearly six-lakh government employees have decided to go on leave in support of the bandh.

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