Allahabad: For the first time in the forthcoming Kumbh, foreign tourists would find men-in-khaki as their felicitators-cum-guides after Kumbh Mela police has decided to set up a “tourist police station” at sector 20 in Arial area on the Kumbh Mela campus .

A total of 150 policemen with multi-lingual facility would be deployed at the proposed tourist police station to serve devotees arriving from abroad as well as southern states.

“For the first time, Mela police authorities have finally decided to set up the tourist police station where special ‘tent city’ is already being planned and set up for the Mela, ASP (Kumbh Mela) Neeraj Pandey told TOI. He further added, “Trained and experienced cops who are well versed in English and other foreign languages will be deployed who can deal better with the foreign guests.”

Pandey also claimed that the department has already started screening of policemen who will be posted at tourist police station. The department has in fact chalked out a concrete plan for ease of devotees coming from abroad and southern states so that they do not face troubles as far as lingual barriers are concerned.

Pandey was of the view that there are many police officials who are fluent in English, and other regional languages including Kannada. Apart from security and safety concerns of foreigners who will be attending Kumbh 2019, the officials are already under training for dealing with the tourists in a gentle and sophisticated manner.

The Mela police administration are also planning to take help of volunteers or university students who could speak other foreign languages, including Spanish , French and Russian , to guide the foreign tourists more easily.

Only a few months back, a local BJP MLA too raised the issue of setting up a tourist police station in Allahabad to provide a better experience for the people coming from other states and abroad.