The Commissionerate police has come up with a series of security measures in Bhubaneswar for the Durga Puja, which began across the State on Wednesday.
“While a total of 169 mandaps have been erected in the city, we have divided the mandaps into three categories, A, B and C, depending on their sizes and numbers of visitors. Category A mandaps have been declared as ‘sensitive’ which will be monitored by Sub-Inspector-level officers and half a platoon of armed guards,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Satybrata Bhoi. Three Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and six police control rooms, along with 34 platoons of police, would be deployed in the city, said Bhoi.
“The city has been divided into six zones for better policing and one Additional DCP-rank officer will be in charge of each zone. Besides, one section of police force will be deployed each near famous puja pandals in the city,” said Bhoi.
He informed that the police have given permission to the puja committees to use mikes till midnight on October 2, 3, 4 and 5. Meanwhile, the Commissionerate police have started giving SMSes to people coming to famous puja pandals. The SMSes would tell the visitors to be cautious about chain snatchers and looters while visiting the pandals, said Bhoi. All the puja committees have also been asked to designate volunteers and instal CCTVs without fail. A strategy has also been formed to keep an eye on criminals coming from other States like Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh during this time of the year, said Bhoi.