The innovative concept of ‘bio-tagging’ the children introduced for the first time during the annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara both at Tirumala and Tirupati has evoked a thumping response from pilgrims.
It has not only earned laurels but also bolstered the image of the Police Department which was troubled with the negative publicity owing to alleged ‘excesses’ committed by some of its staff.
Productive results
The path-breaking system which yielded productive results during the recently concluded Krishna pushkaralu is believed to have prompted DGP Sambasiva Rao to try it during the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam festival.
The main idea behind the technology is to check the instances of children below the age of 10 years from getting lost or separated from their parents which generally happens on several festive occasions.
Water-proof
A water-proof tag with the names of the parents and contact telephone number is tied to the wrists of the children which helps in the easy detection of the child in case he gets lost in the crowd.
The system was not only made available at several vantage points atop the temple town, including all the entry points into the mada streets (where the pilgrims congregated in huge numbers to witness the two-time daily processions of the deity) and APSRTC bus stand but also at Tirupati railway station, Alipiri bus stand, Srivari mettu, and other places.
According to rough estimates, nearly 1,000 children were bio-tagged on an average every day during the festival period at both the towns.
Seva Dal
While police constables constituting the newly floated ‘Seva Dal’, who had rendered commendable services to the aged and disabled, were entrusted with the job at Tirumala, local police managed the affairs at Tirupati.
