CCTV cameras, cops in civil dress for safe, secure Puja

The district police have made elaborate arrangements to ensure safe and peaceful Durga Puja. Taking a stern step this year, the police have ensured that most of the 290-odd Durga Puja pandals across the city will be equipped with CCTV cameras this year. Senior Superintendent of Police Amol V Homkar said that the Puja organisers through the Jamshedpur Durga Puja Kendriya Samiti (JDPKS), the apex body of puja committees, have been asked to ensure that each of the pandals  have to install CCTV cameras.

“We have asked the puja committees particularly, those receiving huge crowds at their respective puja pandals to install CCTV sets without lapse. The police personnel will be in direct contact with the volunteers sitting at the control room so that during any untoward incident the police may reach at the spot on time,” explained the senior SSP.

Homkar said that a large number of footfalls of revellers are seen during this four-day puja as people, including women and girls. The SSP said parts strategic location in Bistupur, Sakchi and Kalimati Road have already been covered with the CCTV cameras, but the puja festivity will be safer if the pandal organisers too install the similar gadgets at their pandals. This year 295 registered Pujas are being organised across the city. 

Rapid Action Force and Jharkhand Jaguar personnel jointly with the local police will keep its mobility in the sensitive areas during the five hectic days and policewomen in plain clothes will be deployed at puja pandals to keep a check on the movement of the crowd.

JDPKS general secretary Rambabu Singh said, “Installing surveillance camera is a common practice by by major puja committees. But this time the administration has asked to ensure that each and every pandals is fitted with CCTV cameras so that under no circumstances nuisance may take place inside the pandals,” said Singh.

Singh said that this time the Puja organisers are taking advantage of the technological development in monitoring the CCTV cameras. Circuit House and Northern Town Durga Puja Committee official Subrat Mukherjee said they welcomed the administrative directive for installing the CCTV camera which they have been installing since the past five years.

It will be a testing time for the city police to ensure an incident-free Durga Puja in the wake  of a spurt in crimes like snatching, burglary and group clashes in the city. Taking lesson from the past incidents the district administration is not ready to take any chance on the security front on this Durga puja. Effective police arrangement will be in place during the festival with puja organising committees being instructed to ensure all cooperation to the authorities for an incident free puja.