Maharashtra police to deploy constables as coordinators for major festivals

Maharashtra police have decided to extend the initiative of appointing constables as coordinators for all public and religious festivals, after the maiden move proved effective during the recent Ganeshotsav, which was celebrated peacefully across the state, a senior official said on Sunday.

The 10-day Ganesh festival, which concluded on September 6, saw police constables coordinating with mandals right from the beginning to ensure the celebrations took place without any untoward incidents, the official said.

The initiative will now be extended to upcoming festivals such as Navratri, Shiv Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti, Eid and other festivities, he said.

Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Nikhil Gupta instructed every unit commander of the district, including superintendents of police and police commissioners, to designate one constable for every Ganesh mandal before the festival began, the official said.

As several villages had multiple community Ganpati idols, one police constable was tasked with coordinating with three to four mandals, he said, adding that more than 12,000 personnel served as coordinators.

From visiting mandals every day, meeting organisers and helping them obtain necessary permissions from authorities, constables acted as the go-to person, a senior police official told PTI.

They also helped settle disputes and maintain communal harmony in sensitive areas, he said.

The official said in certain places, police intervened when idol processions passed through Muslim-dominated localities, and peace was maintained, except for a few minor flare-ups.

Procession routes were finalised in consultation with mandal representatives, and constables were in constant touch regarding idol movement, daily programmes, legal permissions, and more.

In areas where processions passed near religious places, coordinators asked mandals to lower the sound of loudspeakers, turn off music and respect religious sentiments, the official said.

Considering the success of the initiative during Ganeshotsav, police have decided to implement it for upcoming major festivals as well. Directives in this regard will be issued to police chiefs across districts and cities next week, he said.

This will help the police to take precautionary measures ahead of festivals, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)