BHUBANESWAR: Puri police on Wednesday launched a WhatsApp chatbot ‘Puri Police Sahayak’, aimed at making police services more accessible, efficient and user-friendly for both local residents and tourists visiting the pilgrim city.
Launching the chatbot, IG Central Range, Satyajit Naik said it will function 24x7, enabling users to access essential services instantly from their mobile devices.
“The chatbot offers a range of key services including reporting of lost mobile phones, providing feedback to the police and locating the nearest police station. Citizens can connect to the service by scanning a designated QR code or sending a simple ‘hi’ message to the official WhatsApp number,” Naik said.
He said the initiative is expected to significantly improve response time and streamline communication between police and the public. It will also be beneficial for tourists, offering them timely assistance, guidance and access to important information during their stay in Puri, he added. The chatbot was launched by Naik in the presence Puri SP Prateek Singh.
In another development, Puri police signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the police hospital to revive and strengthen medical infrastructure, particularly physiotherapy services, at the facility. The agreement will remain in place for five years. While Puri police will provide necessary infrastructure, including space, equipment, electricity and water facilities, the private hospital will manage the physiotherapy unit with its own skilled personnel on a service-oriented basis.
The hospital will incur the operational expenses without charging any fee for its services. Puri police will provide free accommodation to the deployed hospital staff.