Deoghar charts out biometric security

RAJESH KUMAR PANDEY

Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar Dumka, July 7: The serial blasts at Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya early this morning — claimed to be a terror attack on the heritage Buddhist shrine — have set off alarm bells about pilgrim safety at Deoghar's Baidyanath Dham that sees footfall in excess of 50 lakh during the holy month of Shravan. This year, Shravan falls on July 23. But, the Deoghar district administration and police, even in the wake of today's Gaya attack, claim to be better prepared. "We have received an alert from intelligence agencies and are leaving no stone unturned to ensure watertight security in and around Baidyanath temple," Deoghar SP Prabhat Kumar, after reviewing temple security today, told The Telegraph. "With the introduction of new arrangements of arghya(offering) and a biometric time-slot system, we are confident this year's Shravani Mela, beginning July 23, will be foolproof in comparison to previous years," the Deoghar SP added. On the arghya system, he said pilgrims wouldn't be allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum. "They will offer ganga jal through a specially-designed vessel kept outside," Kumar said. The system of biometric entry is more elaborate. From this year, every pilgrim needs to approach one of the 30 kiosks set up by the Baidyanath temple committee — in which Deoghar deputy commissioner Rahul Purwar is also a member — with identity proof such as voter card or equivalent to get a biometric wristband at Rs 10 each. Each wristband will have an embedded bar code with ID details of the pilgrim. Armed with the biometric wristband, the pilgrim needs to approach one of the dozen kiosks jointly set up by the temple management, district administration and police station to get something called the Suvidha Pass. This all-important card will have the specific time slot for the pilgrim concerned. "What this system will do is keep the IDs of every pilgrim with us," the SP added. He also said that during an earlier interstate meeting of administrative officials in Bihar and Jharkhand, a decision was taken to ban pilgrims from carrying ganga jal in opaque vessels. "It couldn't be enforced last year but will be implemented strictly this year," he said. According to intelligence agencies, Baidyanath Dham temple, one of the 12 Shivajyotirlingams, is vulnerable to terrorist attacks given the huge volume of pilgrims on auspicious occasions as well as the entire month of Shravan. More than bombs, the ensuing stampede is capable of causing casualties numbering thousands. Indian Mujahideen member Manzar Imam, arrested from Ranchi in March 2013 in connection with Hyderabad bomb blasts, had told National Investigation Agency team about terrorist plans to target top shrines. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130708/jsp/frontpage/story_17092493.jsp#.UdrJazuBloI