In order to ensure the safety of tourists visiting Maharashtra, the state government has decided to establish–Maharashtra Tourism Security Force (MTSF). The decision to form this force was taken on Monday. The force, which would be referred to as Tourist Mitra, comes a week after the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.

The force on a pilot basis will be launched from May 1, as the four days of the Mahabaleshwar festival commences in the Satara district. Explaining about the decision to set up the force, Shambhuraj Desai, tourism minister said, “The objective is to provide a safe tourism experience to tourists.”