GP Gautam Sawang has said that all the temples and other religious places in the state would be geo-tagged and orders have been issued for continues surveillance at places of worship.
Mr Sawang stated, ‘In a state like Andhra Pradesh which is known for communal harmony, certain sections with vested interests are trying to provoke people of different communities to drive their agenda.’
The DGP warned that all such individuals as were indulging in anti-social activities would not be spared. Authorities of religious places were told to ensure that all the areas surrounding the temples were covered by CCTVs and make proper lighting arrangements to enhance visibility.
He said that the authorities should also ensure that adequate fire-safety equipment was in place.
Govt serious on security at temples
Barring Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), most temples are not following security arrangements and the government is very serious on the issue.
For instance, though there are 56 CC cameras in Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, many of them are not working. Meanwhile, officials failed to deploy technically qualified persons at the control room while in many temples the control room is maintained by ill-qualified security guards.
“Moreover, CC cameras are not covering all vulnerable areas. We have identified the need for 180 more such cameras to ensure round-the-clock security besides having qualified persons to man the control room. These will be achieved as soon as we get the consent of the endowments commissioner,” said V. Trinatha Rao, executive officer of Sri Varahalakshmi Nrusimha Swami Devasthanam of Simhachalam. He told Deccan Chronicle that the technical committee has estimated that installation of additional CC cameras would cost Rs 52 lakh.
Meanwhile, a senior official from the endowments department from Amaravati said that there was information about threat to peace and harmony reportedly because vested interests were keen on damaging Hindu religious assets.
According to intelligence sources, there is a possibility of more community-related disturbances in the state in the coming days.
