Puri: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting in Puri to assess preparations for this year’s Rath Yatra, directing officials to ensure seamless coordination among all departments, servitors and employees for the smooth and error-free conduct of the world-famous festival.
Addressing the meeting at Puri Town Hall, the Chief Minister said the administration, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, should work with complete dedication by pooling its collective experience and expertise to make the annual festival safe and flawless.
He said elaborate arrangements have already been made for security, crowd management, healthcare, sanitation, drinking water, transport and traffic regulation, while asking officials to build on lessons learnt over the past two years and maintain close inter-departmental coordination.
Majhi described the Rath Yatra as a sacred occasion for millions of devotees and a symbol of Odisha’s identity. He urged officers, employees and servitors to treat their responsibilities not merely as official duties but as an act of devotion and service to Lord Jagannath.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister released the ‘Ruparekha – Rath Yatra 2026’ booklet published by the Puri district administration, outlining the festival arrangements.
Emphasising transparency and timely dissemination of information, Majhi directed officials to ensure devotees receive essential updates through the media and social media. He also warned that strict action would be taken against those spreading rumours or misinformation during the festival.
The Chief Minister called for continuous monitoring of all arrangements and lauded the servitors for conducting temple rituals with dedication and punctuality.
Reviewing security measures, Majhi instructed the district administration to ensure there is no repeat of last year’s untoward incidents. He ordered strict regulation of cordon passes, directing that no additional passes be issued beyond the prescribed norms and that access be limited to servitors and personnel directly involved in rituals and festival management.
He said the eyes of the world would be on Puri during the Rath Yatra and stressed that ensuring the safety and convenience of devotees remained the government’s foremost priority.
Officials informed the meeting that preparations have entered the final phase, with an estimated 15 to 17 lakh devotees expected to visit Puri during the festival. Discussions covered ritual management, Pahandi, chariot pulling, darshan arrangements, crowd movement, security and public amenities.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said an Integrated Command and Control Centre has been established to oversee festival operations, while a dedicated control room has been set up near the Gundicha Temple. She said 225 Executive Magistrates will be deployed during the Rath Yatra, around 1,700 temporary toilets have been installed, 30 waterlogging-prone locations have been identified with drainage measures completed, and the Health Department will establish eight temporary hospitals for emergency medical care.
The review meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Ministers, Director General of Police, senior government officials, temple servitors, members of the temple managing committee and other stakeholders, who reviewed the preparedness of their respective departments ahead of the annual Rath Yatra.
