Agra to have police station to look after tourist security

Vishal Sharma
New Delhi/ Agra Following a serious setback faced by the local tourism industry after the alleged rape of two Japanese tourists, Agra became the first city in Uttar Pradesh to implement the concept of a “Tourism Police Station” on Tuesday.

To be established and operated at almost Rs 7 crore per year and manned by 114 police and tourism department personnel, the police station will be permanently established close to the Taj Mahal in a couple of months.

Talking to Business Standard on the occasion, Parthsarthy Sen Sharma, director general (tourism), UP, said the toll-tax paid by tourists arriving at the Taj Mahal would finance the operational costs of such a large contingent of personnel deployed throughout Agra district for the protection of the tourists.

Notably, the Taj Mahal alone earns more than Rs 60 crore from toll-tax each year and it is spent in the maintenance of tourism infrastructure around the major monuments of the city.

He said such incidents badly damaged Agra’s tourism industry and the tourism police shall have well-trained personnel to prevent any crimes against tourists.

India Tourism Development Corporation had also agreed to conduct courses in foreign languages for the tourism police as the basic requirement for a position in this cadre shall be the knowledge of at least one foreign language besides English.

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