Bhubaneswar: A preparatory meeting was held at Odisha state capital Bhubaneswar on Friday for the peaceful and orderly conduct of Puri Rath Yatra 2025. The meeting was chaired by chief secretary Manoj Ahuja at the Lok Seva Bhawan.
The Rath Yatra will be held on June 27 this year. According to an official, the meeting was held to ensure better coordination between all agencies concerned. In 2024, between 1.5 and 2 million people were present in Puri during the Rath Yatra that spanned over two days for the first time in 53 years.
“During the meeting, the chief secretary directed the police administration and all concerned departments to work with precision, leaving no room for lapses in preparations. He emphasized coordinated efforts to maintain order and security throughout the grand festival,” the official said.
Y B Khurania, director general of police, Odisha, Dr Arvind Kumar Padhee, chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple, secretaries of various departments, senior officials of the state administration and police were physically present at the meeting. State home secretary Satyabrata Sahu, chief secretary of the Works Department, the Puri district collector, superintendent of police, Puri, and others participated virtually.
Among the matters discussed were the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic locations for traffic and crowd monitoring, deployment of adequate police personnel for crowd control and operation of an Integrated Command Control Centre to coordinate services across departments.
“Issues such as proper traffic and parking arrangements for vehicles, timely and smooth construction of the chariots, efficient coordination during the pulling of the chariots and preparation of the Grand Road (Bada Danda) were also discussed. The matter of exclusive arrangements for visiting dignitaries and VIP guests was also discussed,” the official added.
All departments were instructed to carry out their roles with full responsibility to ensure a seamless and spiritually enriching Rath Yatra experience for millions of devotees.
