NDMC to deploy personnel for helping people in markets

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will train around 700 of its personnel and deploy them at various areas including markets to facilitate and guide the people visiting crowded places under its jurisdiction, an effort which will also provide a sense of security to them.
The first batch of such personnel will be deployed at Khan Market and Connaught Place on Independence Day, NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava said.
The 'May-I-Help-you' force will be stationed at different market places and will attend to queries of the public, he said, adding that it will also provide a sense of security to them during night hours.

The personnel will carry walkie-talkies, whistles, and will be trained in first-aid and soft skills.
This is in line with NDMC's plan to extend market hours till 11 pm and restaurant timings till 1 am. The civic body is also mulling a plan to keep parks under its jurisdiction open till 11 pm.
"At present, we deploy 40 of our personnel in various parks during morning hours. The response has been good and we are planning to extend the plan to markets as well," Shrivastava said.

The employees will be selected from the civic body's Temporary-Muster-Roll.
"There is still some months of training left of some of these 700 employees. The force will be ready in seven to eight months, and then we will deploy them in the crowded areas," he said.

The civic agency also plans to train stray dogs and engage them for security duty, in a bid to make the city safer for women and to control the dog menace. A proposal in this regard has been sent to Delhi Police and other concerned authorities, Shrivastava said.
"We will train the dogs in a way that they will help policemen keep Delhi safe," the chairperson said.