THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
JULY 10, 2026
With the world-famous
Rath Yatra set to draw lakhs of devotees to Puri, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan
Charan Majhi on Friday conducted a comprehensive review of the festival's
preparedness, stressing flawless coordination, robust security, and efficient
public service delivery to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the annual
mega event.
Chairing a high-level
meeting at Lok Seva Bhavan, the Chief Minister directed officials to maintain
seamless communication and close coordination at every level, underscoring that
even minor gaps could affect the management of one of the country's largest
religious congregations.
The meeting reviewed
detailed arrangements covering crowd management, law and order, traffic
regulation, fire safety, food and drinking water quality, healthcare,
sanitation, and emergency evacuation. Majhi instructed senior officers to
remain vigilant and ensure uninterrupted information flow among all departments
throughout the festival.
To strengthen
security, around 12,000 personnel from the Odisha Police and Central Armed
Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed, while the Indian Coast Guard and the
Indian Navy will remain on alert. As many as 19 senior IPS officers have been
assigned to supervise security operations across the pilgrim town.
Technology will play
a key role in crowd monitoring and public information, with 473 CCTV cameras,
65 LED display screens providing real-time updates in Odia, Hindi, and English,
16 permanent telecom towers supplemented by temporary towers, and a bulk
messaging system to keep devotees informed.
The State Government
has also made extensive arrangements for pilgrims' convenience, including 1,700
bio-toilets, eight temporary hospitals, and dedicated help desks at Gundicha
Temple to assist elderly and differently-abled devotees. A central
command-and-control centre, along with designated evacuation corridors, will
oversee crowd movement, while volunteers will ensure cleanliness and sanitation
around the temporary facilities.
Highlighting the
anticipated surge in pilgrim footfall, the Chief Minister directed officials to
ensure systematic parking arrangements, adequate high-mast lighting along the
Grand Road (Bada Danda), and timely dissemination of train schedules, as more
than 300 special and regular trains are expected to bring devotees to Puri
during the festival.
The review meeting
was attended by Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Chief Secretary Anu Garg,
Development Commissioner D K Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and
I&PR) Hemanta Sharma, Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple
Administration (SJTA) Dr Arabinda Padhee, Director General of Police Y.B.
Khurania, and senior bureaucrats and police officials involved in the Rath
Yatra management.
