Peace committees to get infusion of youth

VARANASI: Following meetings with different communities the district police have decided to restructure peace committees in wake of forthcoming festival season.
As a part of the exercise of gathering public feedback, district magistrate Pranjal Yadav and SSP AK Mishra held a meeting with senior citizens and members of Muslim community in the circuit house on Monday evening.During the meeting, people expressed reservation over the selection process of committee members.
A majority of them expressed unhappiness over non-participation of youth and alleged that police station in-charges often included 'yes man' in the committees. Following their feedback, the SSP decided to restructure peace committees and introduce new provisions. He said that the members would be appointed as 'friends of police' as the experiment had yielded positive results during Shrawan. The exercise would be completed within a week. This would be followed by meetings of the committees.
Cops are worried Dussehra would be celebrated on October 15 and Bakrid on October 17. The SSP said that suggestions offered during the meeting would be enforced while finalizing security arrangements for the festival season. He said that as the goat markets would start a week before Bakrid during Navaratra, Durga Puja and Dussehra, the administration would not allow the entry of trucks carrying goats in the city. He further said that the routes through which goats would be taken to Bakra Mandis had been identified.
He said that meetings with other communities and Durga Puja organizers too would be called up. He said that during Monday meeting a few complained of forcible donations by Durga Puja organizers. He said that people and traders were asked to lodge complaint in this regard so that strict action could be initiated against such people.
Special drive: SSP AK Mishra on Tuesday ordered a special drive in red (inner) and yellow (outer) zones of highly sensitive Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex.
The order came following inputs that few people with doubtful credential had rented rooms and were operating business from there. He said that tenants would be verified and their credential ascertained.
The details of all shopowners and their employees would also be collected during the drive. This exercise would be completed in 10 days, he added.