Ahead of the upcoming Vinayakar Chathurthi festival, the City Police have stipulated a set of guidelines to be adhered to for installation of Vinayaka idols at officially designated public places.
Idols of different sizes are being readied at a feverish pace in the city and elsewhere in the district for the festival falling on August 25. This time too, police have identified the designated public spots for installation of idols by the organising committee members.
Field-level police officers at the four police ranges – Cantonment, Fort, Srirangam and Golden Rock – have held meetings with the organising committee members to drive home the guidelines to be followed by them. As an additional security measure, they have asked the members to install Closed Circuit Television Units (CCTV) at public spots where the idols are to be installed, police sources said.
A set of over 20 guidelines includes obtaining permission from Tangedco and law enforcement agencies before installation, deployment of members identified by the organising committee for guarding the idols along with police personnel, desisting from raising slogans hurting the sentiments of other religions during the idols procession for immersion, and provision of adequate lighting facility at the spots.
Petitions seeking permission for installation of the idols have already started to come, the sources said. More than 100 petitions have already been accepted.
The City Police have identified over 190 designated spots for installation of the idols and the immersion of idols kept within the city limits will take place on August 27.
