Punjab Police steps up security with 3,400 cops for Shaheedi Sabha at Fatehgrah Sahib

Fatehgarh Sahib, Dec 25 (PTI) Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Thursday reviewed security and traffic management plan to ensure smooth, secure and orderly conduct of religious congregation, the Shaheedi Sabha.

The three-day annual Shaheedi Sabha, held to pay homage to Guru Gobind Singh's younger sons Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh and their grandmother Mata Gujri, commenced at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib on Thursday.

Yadav was accompanied by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Ropar Range) Nanak Singh and Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shubham Aggarwal.

The entire area has been systematically divided into six sectors and a force of more than 3,400 police personnel, under the supervision of six superintendent rank officers and 24 deputy SP rank officers, have been deployed to ensure foolproof security throughout the event, the DGP informed.

"Our foremost duty is to ensure the safety, comfort and smooth movement of the 'sangat'. Punjab Police is performing this responsibility as sewa and will guide and facilitate the devotees with humility and dedication," he said.

Police personnel have been instructed to adopt a courteous and people-friendly approach while remaining vigilant and committed to duty, he added.

Highlighting initiatives undertaken this year to ensure hassle-free and smooth passage to devotees coming from across the country and abroad, Yadav said that several measures have been implemented by the Fatehgarh Sahib police to prevent inconvenience to pilgrims.

He informed that ‘no vehicle’ zone has been earmarked in the 200 meters radius of Gurdwara Sahib and 22 parking locations have been designated, with e-rickshaw, auto and shuttle bus services arranged to ferry devotees from parking areas to the gurdwara.

To facilitate seamless traffic management, Punjab Police has also collaborated with Google for real-time geo-tagging of parking locations, while directional signboards have been installed at strategic points, he added.

For effective monitoring and surveillance, six drones and around 300 hi-tech CCTV cameras have been deployed to oversee crowd movement, traffic flow and parking areas, besides maintaining a strict vigil on anti-social elements.

The DGP said that six integrated help desks, providing police assistance, medical aid and fire services, have been set up for the convenience of devotees.

Additionally, an integrated control room, public assistance kiosks, special contingency response teams, and 24x7 surveillance through social media monitoring, special branch and intelligence inputs have been activated to prevent any untoward incident, he informed. PTI CHS OZ OZ