Rajkot: Saurashtra’s biggest fair ‘Goras Lok Mela’ on the occasion of Janmashtami begins from Saturday at Rajkot’s Race Course ground, where more than 30 lakh people from all over the state are expected to visit over the next five days. Rajkot police have issued the notification for traffic, parking and diversions for convenience of visitors.
Every year, the annual five-day fair attracts 4 lakh to 5 lakh visitors every day and on Janmashtami day, about 8 lakh people visit the fair.
More than 3,000 cops have been deployed to maintain law and order at the fair. There will be three deputy commissioners of police, 10 assistant commissioners, 37 inspectors, 112 sub-inspectors, four companies of the state reserve police (SRP), 500 home guards and gram rakshak dal (GRD) personnel and 2,000 constables, including women constables, deployed at the fair.
The entire venue has been put under the closed circuit television network with over 20 cameras installed at strategic locations, including entrance points. Live feed from cameras will be watched by cops at the police control room.
Over the years, there have been complaints of thousands of kids going missing at the fair. There have been cases in the past where a child is found, while his parents are missing. To put an end to this problem, the police have made special arrangement for kids. Every child visiting the fair will be given an identity card with parents’ cellphone number at the entrance point itself. And if a child is spotted alone, the police will immediately contact his or her parents.
