Over 50 people after attack on Swiss couple in Fatehpur Sikhri

Acting firmly after a Swiss couple was assaulted by five youngsters in Fatehpur Sikri near here the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the rounding up of antisocial elements around the historical monuments in and near AgraIn the last 24 hours more than 50 lapkas or touts who target foreign visitors at Fatehpur Sikri Agra Fort and Taj Mahal have been rounded up They have been booked for harassment and disturbing public peace and sent to jailRepresentational PictureSenior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak said information centres were being planned at the monuments where tourists will get help from Tourism Police A booklet will be published giving full details of distances and fares Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who was in Agra three days ago expressed his unhappiness at the unlawful activities of unauthorized canvassers and vendors at the historical monumentsWith three world heritage monuments and several architectural marvels Agra is annually visited by nearly 10 million Indian and foreign tourists Tourism is the mainstay of Agras economy supporting a network of hundreds of big and small hotels emporia resorts and travel networks After the opening of the Yamuna Expressway and the LucknowAgra Expressway there has been a spurt in footfall says the President of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association Surendra SharmaIn Fatehpur Sikri tourism supports hundreds of families he addedOn October 22 a young Swiss couple both aged 24 walking along a railway track were brutally set upon by five young men at Fatehpur Sikri The Swiss man suffered fractures Both were warded at the Apollo Hospital in DelhiHotel owners are worried about the impact the incident will have on tourism True lapkas bring a bad name to the city But generalizing the negative features dents the fair and positive image of Agra as a whole and the tourism industry in particular said Raj Kumar owner of Hotel AlleviateAgras hotel business is tourist friendly and provides reasonable hospitality which has been appreciated by customers from across the globe he added In the past there has been a lot of criticism of the police for not promptly acting on complaints of harassment by touts at the monumentsFrom the Agra Cantt railway station to emporiums to monuments the socalled illegal guides or agents and canvassers who locally are called lapkas have created a nightmarish ambience for the tourists admitted Shravan Kumar Singh of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation SocietyIn the process the entire tourism industry gets a bad name Tourists do not want to return to Agra At Fatehpur Sikri you cannot walk alone without being swarmed by these lapkas he said Licensed tourist guides too want an effective policing network to curb the undesirable activities of lapkasWhile the police action has been welcomed by a section there is resentment against the arrest of so many who may not be involved in any antisocial activity This is just facesaving for the failure in Fatehpur Sikri said the father one of those arrestedIt is police highhandedness Reasonable canvassing or persuading tourists to visit a shop or an emporium or hotel cannot be called illegal said hotelier Sandeep Bhaiyya The police have no set of rules or guidelines on how to regulate this form of activity which has been deliberately given a bad name in Agra he saidThe 17th century Taj Mahal built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz is considered one of the wonders of the world and is Indias biggest tourist draw Many of those visiting the Taj also go to Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri