From Our Special
Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Days after Arunachal Pradesh launched a special security force for tourists, another Northeastern state, Nagaland has announced that it would be ready with a tourist police before the Hornbill Festival on December 1.
Nagaland police is currently on the job to raise the special squad which has become imperative to ensure tourist safety in the wake of a rising footfall of both foreign and domestic tourists to the popular annual winter festival at Kisama near Kohima.
“About 100 police personnel from the state police will undergo specalised training to be conducted in association with the tourism department. Our inspector general of police (IGP) is on the job in this regard and we are planning to launch the squad before the Hornbill Festival,” senior superintendent of police, Vekhosa Chakhesang told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
This is for the first time that a dedicated tourist police force would be raised to ensure tourist safety in the state.
“The number of both foreign and domestic tourists to the state has increased substantially over the years and it was about time that such a force was launched to ensure security for them. Many foreign tourists prefer to visit various places, and in such a situation, for the state police to look after every tourist can be difficult,” Chakhesang said.
Asked whether any mobile application, like the one in Arunachal Pradesh, would be launched in Nagaland, the SP replied in the affirmative but said that the details will be clear by the second week of November.
A review meeting of the concerned departments, police and district administration, village councils, youth bodies and stakeholders in regard to preparation for the Hornbill Festival was also held in Kohima recently.
The Kohima district administration informed that separate meetings for security coordination and traffic management during the festival would be convened soon.
Aspects such as efficient street lighting, stable power and water supply, cleanliness and beautification are also being taken into consideration by the district administration ahead of the festival.