QUICK POLICE ACTION IS NECESSARY IN CASES OF CRIMES AGAINST TOURISTS: OM BIRLA
The objective of the National Conference on Tourist Police Scheme was to bring different stockholders on the same platform, so that they may work together in close coordination with the State/UT Police department and sensitize them about the specific requirements of the foreign & domestic tourists for effective implementation of Uniform Tourist Police Scheme at pan-India level
By Andalib Akhter
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said that tourist inflow improves a country where the law and order is better and effective. He said that the relations of the tourist police with the tourists should be very friendly and for this it is necessary to train the police in such a way that they the importance of the tourists and tourism ..
Speaking at a National Conference on Tourist Police Scheme in New Delhi Mr Birla said that it was necessary to give adequate training to the tourist police for effective security and these police personnel should have knowledge of many languages and know the use of new technology.
Referring to the hosting of the upcoming G20 summit by India, Birla said that the Heads of States, leaders, and officials of the G20 countries will visit major tourist destinations of the country. This event will give us an opportunity to improve security and policing in popular tourist areas.
Referring to the potential of tourism in the country, Shri Birla observed that India is a country full of natural resources, historical sites, archaeological monuments, and religious places, which are famous for tourism globally. He mentioned that in today’s times tourism is not limited to travel only, rather India is known all over the world as a hub of spirituality, Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy. Lauding India’s growing profile in various fields, Shri Birla opined that India is emerging as an important destination for ecotourism, business tourism and education tourism along with medical tourism.
Referring to increasing digitization in the tourism sector, Birla said that in information era, tourists ordinarily get every information related to their travel through mobile. In this regard, Shri Birla emphasized on developing a mobile application which provides all relevant information related to the tourists to their destinations in multiple languages.
He said that to ensure safe and comfortable travel, this app should provide updated and complete information about hotels, taxis, guides, etc., among other facilities, and facilitate police assistance whenever needed. Shri Birla stressed on the need for quick police action in cases of crimes against tourists, saying that such steps increase the confidence of tourists and create a good environment. Shri Birla welcomed the establishment of tourism police by several State Governments from the point of view of tourism security and advised all the States and the Central Government to share best practices among themselves.
Union Minister for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Tourism Shripad Yesso Naik also graced the event. Ministry of Tourism in co-ordination with Ministry of Home Affairs and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) organised this conference. Arvind Singh, Secretary (Tourism), Balaji Srivastava, Director General (BPR&D, MHA), Joint Secretary (Foreigners division, MHA), State Tourism Secretaries of Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa & Meghalaya, DGPs/ IGPs of States/UTs and other senior officials of MHA, MoT, BPR&D were also present during the conference. The report on ‘Tourist Police Scheme’ prepared by BPR&D was deliberated upon and BPR&D also shared the finding and recommendations of the report.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said that India always has something for every kind of traveller, ranging from lofty mountains to fast flowing rivers, rolling valleys and sand-dunes. India offers a myriad of fascinating places of interest, natural beauty, and vibrant culture, which are globally unparalleled. As we celebrate the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, in the past 75 years India has become synonymous with tourism, spirituality, transformation, culture, and diversity. It is a matter of great pride to celebrate record beating expansion, leading India to become the 5th largest economy in the world.
The Union Minister admitted that some unscrupulous elements are active mostly at hotels, at entry exit points of airports, railway stations and bus terminals. He strongly condemned the incidents of theft and fraud at some of the tourist places and asked the police administration to deal with them strictly.
“We should have a policy of zero tolerance for incidents threating safety and security of tourists” he said adding that such incidents tarnish the image of our country.
Minister Shripad Yesso Naik highlighted that Tourism sector contributes around 5.02% of India’s GDP and has supported around 14.87% of total direct & in-direct employment during the Financial Year 2018-19 and contributed Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 2.12 lakh crore (USD 30 billion) in Indian Economy during the year 2019. Tourism in India has contributed significantly in making India the 5th largest economy in the world, though we are yet to optimize its full potential.
Secretary Tourism Arvind Singh in his concluding remarks said that India’s global tourism indices will go up by improving the safety and security aspects of tourism and would go a long way in smaking India one of the favourable destinations. He added that this conference is another step to take measures to improve the confidence of travellers and implementation of this kind of uniform Tourist Police Scheme in the states and UTs, will result in safer tourism.
The objective of the Conference was to bring different stockholders on the same platform, so that they may work together in close coordination with the State/UT Police department and sensitize them about the specific requirements of the foreign & domestic tourists for effective implementation of Uniform Tourist Police Scheme at pan-India level. This will change the safety & security related perception of India at global level and will help in making India a must visit destination around the globe.