MAGISTRATES WILL BE DEPLOYED AT 248 LOCATIONS

BHABHUA (RNI) The District Information and Public Relations Office issued a press release stating that the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police held a joint briefing of all magistrates and police officers at Lichchavi Bhawan regarding the upcoming Durga Puja, and provided necessary instructions. All sub-divisional officers have been directed to prevent unconstitutional gatherings within their respective areas, and to prevent those carrying firecrackers, firearms, etc., and to disturb the peace, as per departmental instructions, and to ensure preventive and necessary action against anti-social elements causing unrest under relevant sections of the Indian Civil Security Code.

Magistrates and police officers have been deployed at 248 locations across the district. Additionally, patrol magistrates and police officers have been deputed, dividing the entire district into six sections.

A 24-hour district control room has also been established, staffed by magistrates and police officers around the clock. The District Magistrate also urged the public to immediately contact the District Control Room number 06189-222080 in case of any emergency. Mr. Manoj Kumar Pawan, District Panchayat Raj Officer, Kaimur, has been authorized as the Senior Control Room Officer. The fire department has also been instructed to regularly inspect all puja pandals to ensure no fire incidents. In case large fire fighting vehicles are unable to reach the fair due to heavy crowds, smaller vehicles should be kept on standby. All puja pandals were instructed to have separate entry and exit gates, as well as separate entrances for men and women. The fire department was also directed to check the lighting and electricity arrangements from a fire fighting point of view, to arrange for the havan at a safe place at some distance outside the pandal, to make arrangements for burning incense sticks on the ground, to arrange for fire extinguishers as per requirement in each pandal to deal with any emergency, to ensure that the path of the fire fighting vehicle is not blocked in case of emergency while fencing the pandal, to keep the contact details of the nearest fire officer, to follow the standard operating procedure to prevent fire accidents. The District Magistrate directed all the magistrates and police officers to talk to the volunteers during their visit to the puja pandal and to give them necessary instructions and to contact them in case of any emergency. He also directed all sub-divisional officers and police station heads to ensure that no puja pandal is operating without a valid license. The quality of pandal construction should be inspected, and a no-objection certificate regarding fire safety standards should be obtained from the fire department. For security purposes, CCTV installation has been made mandatory in every pandal. Each puja committee will provide a list of its volunteers to the concerned SDM, and all puja committees have also been instructed to have volunteers present with photo identification cards to control crowds.

To maintain law and order during Durga Puja, a QRT team will be stationed at the Bhabua police station, which will respond immediately to any emergency law and order situation. Dr. Abhay Kumar Gaurav, Assistant Director of Gardens, has been deputed as a magistrate with the Quick Response Team.

The district administration has installed CCTV cameras at all puja pandals and along routes frequented by large numbers of people. Videography will also be conducted at various locations. Crowds will also be monitored using drones. In his address, the Superintendent of Police stated that a separate team has been formed to monitor CCTV, drones, and videography. He also urged the public to celebrate the festival peacefully. No anti-social elements will be spared. Anyone who takes law and order into their own hands will be spared. Those spreading hatred on social media will also be closely monitored. A separate cyber team has been formed to monitor social media 24/7.

The Additional Collector, Establishment Deputy Collector, District Information and Public Relations Officer, Sub-Collector of Inspection, all Sub-Divisional Officers, all Sub-Divisional Police Officers, all district-level officers, all deputized magistrates and police officers, and all station heads, among others, were present at this joint briefing.