The Home Guards has established the Green Police force to ensure the safety of tourists and provide them with relevant information and assistance whenever required. Deputy commandant general (Home Guards) KT Balakrishna answers readers’ queries on the matter, shedding some light on the composition and role of the newly-constitutedforce.Excerpts from the interview:
B Vasanth, Ashoknagar, Chennai
I recently toured Karnataka, but did not find the much-publicised Green Police personnel at any of the tourist spots. Has the state deployed them at tourist locations?
The Green Police first made their appearance at last year’s Hampi Utsav, in Bellary district, on a trial basis. It comprised volunteers from the Home Guards. Their selection was based on educational qualification – in this case, graduates – and the ability to converse in English, Hindi and some other Indian languages. They were told to understand the local culture and give guidance on the availability of accommodation, local tours and ways to avoid touts. We have successfully conducted the operation and the results are there for everybody to see. However, there is no full-fledged Green Police force at present because the proposal to induct as many as 69 personnel is still pending before the tourism department.
Dr Rajan D, Andheri West, Mumbai
What can I, as a tourist, expect from the Green Police?
The Green Police force, an elite division within the Home Guards, has been set up primarily to act as a facilitator for tourists arriving at various centres within the state. They are meant to help tourists avail lodging and transportation facilities, besides ensuring their safety. They will also help in containing crimes such as pick-pocketing, eve-teasing, molestation and drugging. They will perform specific duties like guiding tourists to locations of importance; helping them procure tickets for museums, resorts, trains, flights and buses; providing medical facilities when required and warning visitors against going to places that lack security.
SK Lakshminarayana, Mysore
The creation of the Green Police seems to be a laudable idea. However, I think they should go beyond just policing. Are there any plans to make them serve our guests better?
The Karnataka Tourism police and the Greens will be present at all tourist spots. Such venues will also have three-tier help centres run by the Green Police between 9am and 9pm. Besides the kiosks, there will also be patrolling teams of Green Police personnel who will assist tourists by directing them to places of interest and helping them reach their destinations safely. A third team of the Green Police will specialise in helping tourists get medical assistance, besides locating lost belongings and filing police complaints in times of distress. They will also provide security to those who fear for their personal safety.
Lakshman Kumble, Mangalore
How can one recognise a Green policeman? Where will they be deployed?
They will be present at major places of tourist interest such as Mysore, Hampi, Pattadakal, Kodagu and Chikmagalur, besides airports, railway stations and bus terminals across the state.The Green Police will make sure that both the safety and convenience of tourists are taken care of. The constitution of this force is definitely helping the tourism industry in the state. The tourism department is currently working on an exclusive uniform for the Green Police, and the dress code is still under consideration. In the future, they will be posted at Jog Falls in Shimoga district, Kemmanagundi, Belur and Halebidu, Shravanabelagola, Panambur beach, Maravanthe beach, Malpe beach, Kaup beach, Karkala, Murudes-hwara, Hampi, Yana, Om beach, Banawasi, Gokarna, Mekedattu, Muttathi and Nandi Hills, Bidar Fort, Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal, Mahakoota (Bagalkot), Chamundi Hills, Somanathapura, Talakadu, Shivanasamudra, Srirangapatna
and Abbe Falls.
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