Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday directed the officials to ensure smooth conduct of Rath Yatra (chariot festival) in Odisha’s Puri town on July 1.
Chairing a reviewing meeting on preparation for the chariot festival in Bhubaneswar through vide-conference, Naveen said it should be the responsibility of everybody concerned that the festival is celebrated with discipline and without any untoward incident.
Since the number of devotees is expected to be more this time as they were deprived of participation in the Rath Yatra in the last two years due to COVID restrictions, all arrangements should be in place for their convenience. Seeking all stakeholders’ cooperation for the festival, he said, “The devotees coming from different parts of the country and abroad should return with a feeling of satisfaction and happiness from the Pilgrim Town.”
He thanked the sevayats (servitors) who participated in pulling the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra in the last two years and hoped that they would extend similar gesture this year also.
Law Minister Jagannath Saraka spoke on the decisions taken for successful conduct of the Rath Yatra, while Development Commissioner PK Jena detailed the preparations. DGP Sunil Bansal informed about the steps taken for maintaining law and order, crowd control and preventing anti-social activities during the festival.
Several ministers, MLAs, Puri MP, senior officers and servitors of Jagannath temple in Puri also participated in the meeting.
