Puri: With a large number of visitors expected to throng the seaside pilgrim town of Puri during the New Year celebrations, the administration has cancelled the leave of all district officials for six days, from Wednesday.
Puri district Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida ordered the cancellation of leave of all district-level officials from December 30 to January 4 to ensure smooth management of the expected rush of visitors.
As per the order, all officials must remain present at their respective headquarters during the period and shall not leave headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority.
The decision was taken in view of the heavy turnout of devotees during the New Year celebrations. Officials have been directed to ensure the safety of devotees and extend proper hospitality to visitors, the Collector said
Puri SP Prateek Singh said elaborate arrangements have been made for effective crowd management in the pilgrim town. Police personnel have been deployed in strength to regulate the flow of devotees visiting Shree Jagannatha Temple for offering prayers before the sibling deities.
CCTV cameras and public address systems have been installed at all sheds around the temple, while security checkpoints have been set up for vehicle checking and frisking, while police patrolling across the city has been intensified.
Police officials have also held discussions with hotel owners as part of efforts to ensure peaceful and incident-free New Year celebrations. A parking advisory has been issued to facilitate smooth traffic management.
