In a move aimed at ensuring safety of tourists, the Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday launched 20 tourist police stations. Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the police stations at 20 important religious and tourist places in various districts.
Launching the police stations virtually from his official residence here, he said the security kiosks would work as additional police stations and attend to complaints from tourists.
The newly launched tourist police stations would now start functioning at the RK Beach at Visakhapatnam, Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy temple at Vontimitta in YSR district, Kukkuteswara Swamy temple at Pithapuram in Kakinada district, Pushkar Ghat at Rajahmundry, Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Dwaraka Tirumala in Eluru district, Manginapudi Beach and Mopidevi Temple in Krishna district, Indrakeeladri Temple and Bhavani Island in NTR district, Mypadu Beach and Sri Penusila Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Penchalakona in SPSR Nellore district, Mahanandi and Ahobilam temples in Nandyal district, Raghavendra Swamy temple at Mantralayam in Kurnool district, Horsley Hills in Annamayya district and Lepakshi temple in Satya Sai district.
The chief minister revealed that the tourist police stations would be run by specially trained police personnel and headed by a Sub-Inspector or Assistant Sub-Inspector rank officer.
Linked with local police stations, each tourist police station would have six police personnel including women constables. Interacting with the police officials virtually on the occasion, he suggested that the contact phone number of the responsible police officials should be prominently displayed at all tourist police Stations.
He hoped that the enhanced tourism security would help boost up the traffic of tourists in the state. He said several reforms were introduced in the police department after YSRCP came to power and the downloading of Disha App by about 1.20 crore women indicates the extent of support being extended to womenfolk in the state by the police.
Unlike in the TDP rule, police services are now available to people through village and ward secretariats and the government has also introduced zero-FIR system in police stations where receptionists would talk to the complainants first.
Home Minister Taneti Vanita, DGP K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, Special CS (Tourism) Rajat Bhargava and senior police officials were present.