Vijayawada: Giving a boost to tourism security in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has inaugurated Tourist Police Stations at 20 important religious and tourist places in various districts.
Launching these stations virtually from his Camp Office at Tadepalli on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the security kiosks would work as additional police stations and exclusively attend to complaints from tourists.
The DGP explained that the newly launched TPSs would be functional at the RK Beach in Visakhapatnam, the Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy temple at Vontimitta in YSR district, the Kukkuteswara Swamy temple at Pithapuram in Kakinada district, the Pushkar Ghat at Rajahmundry, the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Dwaraka Tirumala in Eluru district, the Manginapudi Beach and the Mopidevi Temple in Krishna district, the Indrakeeladri Temple and Bhavani Island in NTR district, the Mypadu Beach and the Sri Penusila Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Penchalakona in SPSR Nellore district, the Mahanandi and Ahobilam temples in Nandyala district, the Raghavendra Swamy temple at Mantralayam in Kurnool district, the Horsley Hills in Annamayya district and the Lepakshi temple in Satya Sai district.
The tourist police stations would be run by specially trained personnel and headed by an SI or ASI. Linked with local police stations, each TPS would have six police personnel including one or two women constables.
Interacting with the police officials in video mode, Jagan Mohan Reddy suggested that the contact phone number of the responsible police officials should be prominently displayed at all TPSs. He hoped that the enhanced security would help boost the tourism drive in the state.
The Chief Minister said several reforms were introduced in the police department after the YSRC came to power. The downloading of Disha App by about 1,20,00,000 women indicated its popularity. “Unlike during in the Telugu Desam rule, police services are now available to people through village and ward secretariats. The government has also introduced a zero-FIR system in police stations whereby the receptionists would talk to the complainants first.
DGP Rajendranath said women police at the TPSs would help women tourists. Pamphlets with emergency contact numbers and precautionary steps would be distributed to tourists to spread safety awareness.
While 20 TPSs have been started in the first phase, more of these would come up in future.
Home minister Taneti Vanita, Special CS (tourism) Rajat Bhargava and senior police officials were present.
Notably, at Mantralayam, Mutt Pontiff Sri Subhudendra Theertha Swamiji and Kurnool SP Siddarth Koshal offered puja at the tourist police station at Mantralayam after the inauguration.
The Raghavendra Swamy Mutt provided building, furniture and necessary facilities for the police station at Madwa Corridor closer to the Mutt premises.
Kurnool SP Siddarth Koushal noted that Mantralayam has been a major spiritual centre with thousands of devotees from across the country arriving for darshan. Hence, the tourist police station would be functional round-the-clock to provide necessary assistance to the devotees.
The mutt pontiff said thousands of devotees arrive for darshan every day while more than a lakh people turn up on auspicious days. The mutt would cooperate with the department, he said.
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