Priority to law and order: Urban SP R Jayalakshmi

​Tirupati: Maintaining law and order is our top priority keeping in view the importance of the city as a holy place and a world famous pilgrim centre where thousands of people from various places arrive daily to visit Tirumala temple, said Tirupati Urban SP R Jayalakshmi.

Participating in the ‘meet the press’ programme organised by Press Club here on Tuesday, the SP said ensuring tranquility in the city is paramount as any disturbance to peace will have an adverse impact on the pilgrim flow on which the city economy is depending on.

The police task in the city is more challenging as it involves protocol duty almost on regular basis with the constant flow of VVIPs and VIPs while at the same time they should also ensure law and order in the city, she said.

In this connection, the SP said that the denizens too have the responsibility in preventing crimes to ensure the peaceful atmosphere by cooperating with the police to maintain the tranquility of the pilgrim city.

“The house owners, lodge managements and others should invariably check the antecedents of the persons seeking shelter while the general public also should wary of suspicious people and alert the police,” she averred.

Answering a query on the traffic congestion in the city, the SP said it was largely due to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation which she said failed to ensure the residences or business and commercial establishments with adequate parking facilities, resulting in the vehicles are parked even on busy main roads and streets.

On the non-functioning of the outposts in the city, Jayalakshmi said that it was because of the personnel being diverted to anti-smuggling task to prevent red sanders logs smuggling which was taken up by the government on priority basis.

She said that the police outposts would soon start functioning effectively with the deployment of more men under task force for containing red sanders smuggling.

The SP said that prevention of red sanders smuggling is another area of priority for urban police, who she said able to contain to maximum extent. Marking the occasion, the issuing of identity cards to the members of the Press Club was done at the hands of SP. Press Club president K Sudheer, secretary K Giri Babu, treasurer P Narendra and others were present.