Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today chaired a high-level review meeting for the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Odisha’s Puri city.

The Chief Minister put emphasis on proper coordination and cooperation among all officials and other stakeholders for smooth organisation of the annual festival.

Majhi had reviewed the preparation for this year’s Rath Yatra in the Holy City on July 6.

“Majhi put emphasis on the timely performance of rituals, adequate safety measures for devotees and proper crowd management for an incident-free Rath Yatra,” said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

CM for foolproof measures for smooth Rath Yatra

The Chief Minister asked the officials concerned to take the necessary steps for uninterrupted communication flow for better coordination among the stakeholders during the annual mega event.

“The officials have been asked to initiate foolproof measures with regard to crowd management, safety of women devotees, food safety and emergency evacuation arrangements for this year’s Rath Yatra,” added the CMO.

As many as 12,000 police personnel, including the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), will be deployed in Puri for Rath Yatra. Altogether 19 senior IPS officers will supervise the security arrangement in the Holy City. Besides, the Indian Navy as well as the Coast Guard will patrol the coastal sea, stated the CMO.

8 makeshift hospitals for emergency healthcare  

As many as 473 CCTV cameras will be installed on the Grand Road and other places in Puri as part of the security arrangements. The authorities will install at least 65 LED screens across the Holy City to disseminate information to the devotees, added the CMO.

“The officials have been asked to make the necessary arrangements for quick evacuation of devotees in case of any untoward incident. Around 1,700 bio-toilets will be placed across Puri for the convenience of the devotees. At least eight makeshift hospitals will be opened to provide emergency healthcare during the festival,” revealed the CMO.