Andaman police personnel to learn English to assist tourists

Port Blair: A language lab was set up in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to help police personnel of the archipelago learn English so that they can assist tourists in a better way.

A large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, come to the union territory each year to enjoy the beautiful white sandy beaches, rich coral reefs and lush green forest.

"One of the key objectives of the Language Lab is to elevate the language skill of police personnel. It will have a direct impact on creating a positive experience for tourists visiting the islands," Director General of Police Devesh Chandra Srivastva told PTI.

The English language lab was set up at the Police Training School at Prothrapur in Port Blair for the new trainees and in-service personnel.

In the lab, the police authorities are using interactive software which will enhance the communication and spoken English skills of the police personnel.

"Effective communication is a bridge between law enforcement and tourists, promoting a sense of safety and assistance," said Srivastva who inaugurated the language lab on Thursday.

In 2022, a total of 2,39,522 tourists including 4461 foreigners visited the islands. In the pre-Covid era of 2019, there were 5,21,604 total travellers, of whom 16,206 came from abroad, an official said.

The DGP on Thursday also inaugurated a renovated Fire Control Room in Port Blair.

"The Fire Control Room features cutting-edge technologies. These include a one-touch digital data retriever, electronic private automatic branch exchange and CCTV surveillance systems connected with all the 24 fire stations in the entire Island," Srivastva said.

The digital data retriever will help officers get contact numbers of the key installations and people in just one click, as the officers need to respond quickly in cases of emergency, he said.

This sophisticated infrastructure will also facilitate centralised monitoring of all fire stations, ensuring a swift and coordinated response to emergency situations, the DGP said.