Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and siblings to be held in Puri, a high-level meeting was convened at the State Police Headquarters in Cuttack on Monday to review preparations for the mega event.
Chairing the meeting, Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania underlined the need to arrange a comprehensive security and effective management to ensure the festival proceeds smoothly and safely.
Noting that the Rath Yatra attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad, the DGP urged senior police officials to adopt a proactive approach and maintain constant vigilance throughout the event to avoid any untoward incidents.
The meeting also reviewed the schedule of key rituals associated with the Rath Yatra. While Debasnana Purnima is slated to be held on June 11, Rath Yatra is scheduled on June 27 and Bahuda Yatra on July 5. The annual festival will conclude on July 8 with Niladri Bije.
All these occasions are expected to draw large crowds, necessitating meticulous planning and security arrangements.
The meeting discussed a wide range of security measures, including the deployment of senior police officers across critical locations, installation of CCTV cameras at strategic points, and traffic management plans involving road dividers, delineators, and designated parking zones. The police also plan to conduct regular beach patrolling and establish temporary outposts to maintain order.
The need to maintain coordination with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) was highlighted as a priority, ensuring smooth handling of crowds at major railway stations like Puri, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, and Jatni. The DGP stressed the importance of working closely with the RPF for seamless security coverage.
Additional security initiatives discussed include special drives against criminals, inspections of hotels and lodges, deployment of the K-9 squad, and measures to prevent stampedes. Provisions for a special helipad for VIPs, accommodation facilities for police personnel, barricading, orderly vehicle movement, and emergency response mechanisms were also reviewed.
The meeting was attended by key police officials, including Director (Intelligence) R P Koche, Additional Director Generals of Police S K Priyadarshi, ADG (Railways & Coastal Security) Arun Bothra, ADG (Law & Order) Sanjay Kumar, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, ADG (Communication) Dayal Gangwar, ADG (SAP) Rajesh Kumar, IG (Central Range) S. Praveen Kumar, IG (Operations) Dr. Deepak Kumar, IG (BPSPA) Anup Kumar Sahoo, IG (Crime Branch) Dr. Sarthak Sarangi, DIG (Provisioning) Charan Singh Meena, DIG (SIW) Kanwar Vishal Singh, DIG (STF) Pinak Mishra, SP (Railways) Vivekanand Sharma, and SP (Puri) Vinit Agrawal.
