Representatives of different organisations at the security meeting in Gaya on Wednesday. Picture by Suman

Gaya, July 17: The district administration has decided to step up security at places of worship and public gathering following the blasts at Mahabodhi Mahavihara last week.

Places of religious worship, cinemas and shopping malls would get extra security. The administrations have been asked to hire private guards and install electronic security gadgets like closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and metal detector doorframes from their own resources.

District magistrate (DM) Balamurugan D. and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ganesh Kumar today held a meeting with representatives of religious places including Vishnupad temple, Mangala Gauri temple, mosques, cinemas and shopping malls.

The DM asked the representatives to involve private security agencies. Some security guards deployed at the checkpoints should be equipped with hand-held metal detectors. “Special security should be arranged at the religious places during festivals like Durga Puja and Id. Gaya Municipal Corporation (GMC) will ensure proper lighting arrangements but religious bodies, cinemas and the shopping malls have to cooperate in this direction,” the DM said.

The SSP said details, including identity, address and other information of private security guards should be made available to the police station concerned within a week from today. In case volunteers have been engaged in management or security their details have to be made available at the police stations within two days.

He said: “The representatives should have regular meetings with the local police station and provide them the feedback. The meeting should be held every 15 days. A register must be kept of the meetings.”

Vishnupad Temple Management Committee secretary Gajadhar Lal Pathak, who attended the meeting, said earlier, four CCTV cameras were installed at the temple. “It has now been increased to 10. There is plan to increase the number of CCTV cameras to 13.”

Suggestions also came from the representatives to intensify police patrolling and also to include big schools in the security plan.

There are two main temples in Gaya town, including Vishnupad and Mangala Gauri. In Vishnupad temple, more than 5 lakh pilgrims from across the country arrive every year to perform pinddaan rituals of their ancestors.