Police Mitra Volunteers Appointed for Smooth Facilitation of Dot Fest

TNI Bureau:Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Prateek Singh informed the city on Saturday that up to 15 platoons of police will be deployed to maintain law and order during the Dot Fest.

Five platoons will be used to maintain traffic in the smart city out of the 15 platoons. There are two more DCPs. Six ACPs, 19 IICs, and 52 ASIs will be deployed to oversee security during the festival.

The aim of the move is to create a system of deployed volunteers to ensure secure and smooth processes are in place for security, visitors, traffic, and parking management.

The volunteers will be deployed at several junctions, including Rajmahal Square, Master Canteen, Ram Mandir Temple, Khao Gali, Capital High School, and Keshari Talkies etc.

The volunteers are also given training on their duties and responsibilities. They will be the human face to mobilise visitors, and guests, and assist the Police personnel to ensure the smooth ongoing of the event. Dot FEST brings the opportunity for visitors to experience trails around the city of Bhubaneswar.

Visitors can also experience the Bhubaneswar Festival of Storytelling (BhuFeSto) specifically curated for children along with the elderly to keep alive the great saga of local literature, poetry & stories. The 15-day long event will also host another artistically crafted event called Sebbe-Au-Ebbe (Then & Now), a photo exhibition that will showcase the glorious urban/ city history of Bhubaneswar, one of the 1st Planned cities of Independent India, along with events like International Food Festival, and the first of its kind uniquely curated Night Bazar & Flea Market throughout.

Addressing the volunteers, Dr. Umashankar Dash, IPS, Additional Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar said, “You are not only a Police Mitra, you are also people’s friend. Wherever you have been deputed, you need to keep close coordination with the police personnel to maintain smooth facilitation of your duties for the populace. Your every action should be in accordance with the order of a real officer in your vicinity.”

Balwant Singh, IAS, BDA Vice Chairman, said, “The main motto of the initiative is ‘Our City Our Responsibility’. The authorities are in full swing working towards the facilitation of the fortnight-long .FEST with the cooperation of the Bhubaneswar police. However, the contribution and coordination of the Police Mitras is equally crucial as they are not just going to help the fellow citizens and the visitors, they are the citizens of Bhubaneswar as well. Hence, this international level fest requires all your support and coordination.”