Unprecedented steps taken for temple safety: DGP

The Police Department has taken unprecedented measures for the safety of temples within the State, based on DGP D. Gautam Sawang.

Mr. Sawang was addressing a gathering on ‘Temple safety – challenges in temple administration’ organised by the Sate Institute of Temple Administration (SITA) on the Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam at Kanaka Durga temple right here on Wednesday.

“Nowhere in the country have such measures been taken,” Mr. Sawang stated.

As many as 198 circumstances had been detected after the September 5 Antarvedi incident through which the century-old temple chariot was gutted. The police had arrested 373 accused / offenders. As many as 1,893 individuals with historical past of temple crimes had been rounded up and questioned. Also, 4,873 individuals concerned in communal disturbances had been recognized, the DGP stated.

Mr. Sawang stated the police had recognized 59,433 spiritual locations for taking on safety audit, mapping, and geo-tagging. CC cameras numbering 47,733 had been put in at 14,282 places. The devices must be put in on the remaining locations too. Temple trusts, Endowments Department, and personal individuals had taken up the duty, he added.

Defence squads

The DGP additional stated that the village defence squads (grama rakshana dalams) had been shaped as a defence mechanism. So far, 18,732 had been established and the goal was to type 23,082 squads within the State.

Creating consciousness amongst individuals and involving them in temple security and safety had been additionally vital, he noticed.

SITA director Dronamraju Ramachandra Rao, Additional DGP (Law and Order) Ravisankar Ayyar, Vijayawada City Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu, ACB Joint Director G.V.G. Ashok Kumar, DIG Technical Services Palaraju, and DCP Vikrant Patil had been current.