Special control rooms to keep vigil on festivities

Hyderabad, July 20 (INN): For the first time, 24-hour operative Special Control Rooms would be set up as part of the vigilance exercise in the state to specifically bring the sensitive areas under the direct 'eye' of the police forces during the Holy Month of Ramzan.

This exercise formed part of the measures and instructions delivered by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to the authorities concerned at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

All safety strings are being pulled to ensure that those participating in the Ramzan celebrities observed the fast and offered prayers uninterrupted during the holy month peacefully.

The top brass met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in his chambers here today and discussed in depth the kind of steps to be taken particularly in the wake of serial explosions that rocked Mumbai recently.

DGP V Dinesh Reddy, Additional DGP Rattan, Intelligence Chief Mahender Reddy, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police A K Khan and Cyberabad Commissioner Ch Dwarakanath Tirumala Rao were part of the high lever review meeting chaired by the Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The Chief Minister is understood to have issued clear instructions to the authorities concerned to see that all services be held as scheduled and that no inconvenience be caused to those observing fast and offering prayers during the holy month.

Besides pressing into service the anti-sabotage squads in the sensitive areas, CCTV cameras would be functional to facilitate the police officers to frisk away anybody found moving under suspicious circumstances.

Closed circuit television sets, mobile police squads, special security forces will be functional to make certain that people had the access to move freely and make purchases after prayers without any problems. The civic officers will also ensure that vendors and hotels cooked and sold fresh food items.

Apart from Ramzan, the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is ahead and then the 'Bonalu' which was celebrated in Secunderabad last Sunday would as well be celebrated in Hyderabad on coming Sunday. Officials were told to make arrangements effectively so that the said festivals pass off peacefully without even a minor incident, according to the Chief Minister's directive. By and large nothing has been left to chance. All possible steps were being taken for the benefit of the people.

At another meeting Minister for Minority Welfare and Wakf Syed Ahmedullah, Minister for Municipal Administration M Mahidhar Reddy, Marketing Minister Mukesh Goud and Hyderabad Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy, interacted with the representatives of leading mosques etc, and elicited their opinions on how best to meet the situation for smooth conduct of the Ramzan festival in the state.

Steps are being taken to keep the areas and places of worship clean with uninterrupted supply of power and drinking water for the benefit of the citizens.