Deputy speaker and chairman of Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), Ashish Banerjee held a high-level security arrangements meeting in Birbhum for the upcoming biggest festival of Tarapith temple.

Top officials of Birbhum district police, Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority and Tarapith Hotel Owners Association participated in the meeting.

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It is learnt that besides providing a large number of cops, about 200 close circuit television sets will also be installed in the Tarapith temple complex to ensure security of the pilgrims.

The Kaushiki Amavasya is the biggest festival of Tarapith temple and attracts lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country in the temple town.

The festival will begin next Monday. The private vehicles will be allowed from a day before the festival and will be parked besides the Mansuba Mor on national highway.

About 27 drop gates will be set up by Birbhum district traffic police and over 1,800 men and women police forces will be deployed.

Construction work to set up nine watch towers has started.

“Drone cameras will also be used to monitor the temple complex and surrounding locations, besides 15 police assistant booths will also be set up in various parts,” said Ashish Banerjee.

The Quick Response Team (QRT) and Women Police team will be deployed to guard the area riding scooties to avoid any crime on women.

Plain Clothes policemen will also be deployed to monitor any problems during the festival. These teams will be deployed in the crowd to prevent snatching of cell phones, purses and gold ornaments.

The Dwaraka riverside will be sealed with iron fencing to prevent pilgrims from entering the river banks. The hotel owners have also been alerted to deploy adequate security personnel inside their premises.