By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide
Chandigarh/Fatehgarh Sahib: As the annual Shaheedi Sabha commemorating the martyrdom of the Chhote Sahibzadas began at Fatehgarh Sahib on Thursday, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and reviewed the elaborate security and traffic arrangements put in place for the three-day religious congregation.
The Shaheedi Sabha is held every year to pay homage to Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the 10th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh. Accompanied by DIG Ropar Range Nanak Singh and SSP Fatehgarh Sahib Shubham Aggarwal, the DGP assessed the multi-layered arrangements to ensure the smooth, secure and orderly conduct of the event.
Interacting with the media, Yadav said the entire area has been divided into six sectors, with more than 3,400 police personnel deployed round-the-clock under the supervision of six SP-rank and 24 DSP-rank officers. “Our foremost duty is to ensure the safety, comfort and smooth movement of the sangat. Punjab Police is performing this responsibility as sewa,” he said, adding that personnel have been instructed to maintain a courteous and people-friendly approach while remaining vigilant.
To facilitate pilgrims arriving from across the country and abroad, a no-vehicle zone has been enforced within a 200-metre radius of the gurdwara, while 22 designated parking locations have been set up. E-rickshaw, auto and shuttle bus services are ferrying devotees from parking areas to the shrine. The police have also collaborated with Google for real-time geo-tagging of parking locations and installed directional signboards at key points for better traffic management.
For surveillance and crowd monitoring, six drones and around 300 hi-tech CCTV cameras have been deployed to oversee crowd movement, traffic flow and parking areas, while keeping a strict watch on anti-social elements.
The DGP further said that six integrated help desks offering police assistance, medical aid and fire services have been established. An integrated control room, public assistance kiosks, special contingency response teams and 24×7 surveillance through social media monitoring, special branch and intelligence inputs have also been activated to prevent any untoward incident during the congregation.
