?Over 15,000 security personnel to be deployed?

OVER 15,000 security personnel will be deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the month-long Simhastha, which gets under way at Ujjain on April 5 and is likely to be attended by over three crore people. ?The State Government has taken extra caution and consulted experts in crowd management to ensure a flawless conduct of the Simhastha at Ujjain,? Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti said addressing a press conference here today.

OVER 15,000 security personnel will be deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the month-long Simhastha, which gets under way at Ujjain on April 5 and is likely to be attended by over three crore people.
 
“The State Government has taken extra caution and consulted experts in crowd management to ensure a flawless conduct of the Simhastha  at Ujjain,” Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti said addressing a press conference here today.

HT Image

Fifteen thousand police personnel would be deployed in Ujjain during the Simhastha, she said, adding the State had requested additional forces from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. Besides, additional 1,000 policemen would be deployed to attend to any emergency at the pilgrimage site, she said.
 
Bharti said the state administration had set up seven satellite townships, widened roads in Ujjain, made provisions for power and water supply to over three crore pilgrims expected to throng the city during the month-long festival.

Special attention has been given to sanitation and health squads have been formed to check spread of diseases, she said. Over 300 doctors, 500 paramedics, 6,000 sanitation personnel, 45 ambulances, 51 fire tenders and 1,500 engineering staff has been deployed, she said.

Taking a dig at the previous Congress Government for not making adequate budgetary provisions for the Simhastha, Bharti said her Government got sanctioned an additional Rs 140 crore from the Centre and the Planning Commission and worked on a war-footing to make arrangements for the festival in “record” two and a half months. Bharti said the previous government had allotted Rs 217 crore for 262 projects of which 139 were completed till November 2003.

Accusing the Congress Government of not approaching the Centre for financial aid, she said her government got additional funds from the Planning Commission and Union Ministry of Finance and implemented 98 new projects, including construction of pontoon bridges and cleaning river Kshipra, where devotees would congregate for the holy bath.

Temporary water tanks to provide drinking water, sewer lines, temporary toilets have been built, she said, adding land had been allotted to sadhus from various akharas attending the festival. Sadhus will be provided tents, electricity and water free of charge, she said.