Tourist cells to function in eight police stations in Odisha soon

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 28:

The Odisha government has decided to open special tourist cells, devoted to the security of tourists, in eight police stations across the state.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting presided over by Tourism and Culture minister Ashok Panda at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the minister said providing security to the tourists holds utmost importance because safety is a primary concern of every person who visits any tourist spot.

As decided in the meeting, of the eight proposed tourist cells in the first phase, three cells would be opened at Dhauli, Nandankanan and Lingaraj police stations in Bhubaneswar while five cells would be opened at Puri Sea Beach, Chandrabhaga Sea Beach, Satapada, Gopalpur Beach and Chandipur Beach police stations.

Each cell will have a sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector and 8-10 policemen who will be appointed by the Home department.

Both the Home and the Tourism & Culture departments will bear the expenditure on these cells.

There will be a special dress code for the tourist cell staff and they will not be used for any other work of the concerned police station other than matters relating to the tourists.

The cell staff would be imparted special training on how behave and to deal with tourists, who come to the cell to lodge their complaints.