By Arshad Afzaal Khan

Ayodhya, Aug 4 (IANS): Around 1,000 workers from different departments including sanitation workers, home guards and staff of the animal husbandry department have been roped in to shoo away monkeys at the Ram Janmabhoomi premises where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Bhumi Pujan ceremony on Wednesday.

According to an estimate by the local administration, there are about 10,000 monkeys in Ayodhya and on a given day the Ram Janmabhoomi site is full of monkeys as the devotees have to go through caged gangways to protect themselves from monkey attacks.

To ensure monkeys do not create any disturbance during the Bhumi Pujan ceremony, the administration has roped in a heavy contingent of government employees to shoo away monkeys from the site.

Talking to IANS, Deputy Director, Information, Murli Dhar Singh said, "the Nagar Nigam of Ayodhya and the department of animal husbandry have been given the duties to keep the premises safe from monkeys."

"Catapults and wooden batons will be used to shoo away monkeys while the most effective weapon will be gram and fruits which will be offered to the monkeys some distance away from the premises so that they remain busy eating."

"Five hundred to 1,000 men from government departments including sanitation workers, home guards and animal husbandry staff have been roped in for the purpose," he added.