Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to improve crowd management and prevent any untoward incidents during the upcoming Jagannath Rath Yatra, the Odisha government has decided to slash the number of VIP and VVIP Rath Cordon passes by half this year.
According to Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, vehicle passes for the chariot area will also be reduced to half of last year’s numbers.
“This decision will considerably lessen VIP movement around the chariots. The number of passes has been reduced by half compared to previous years, which will make crowd control easier to some extent,” the Minister said.
He further informed that only well-experienced police officers will be deployed for crowd control duties during the nine-day festival. The move comes in the wake of a stampede-like situation that occurred during last year’s Rath Yatra, raising serious concerns over public safety near the three majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
Government believe that limiting the presence of VIPs and vehicles in the sensitive cordon area will allow better access for devotees and smoother movement of the massive crowds that throng the Grand Road (Bada Danda) in Puri every year.
Senior police officials are already preparing a comprehensive security blueprint with the reduced passes in mind. The administration is expected to issue detailed guidelines soon on pass distribution and restricted zones.
The annual Rath Yatra remains one of the largest religious gatherings in the country, drawing millions of devotees. This year’s safety-focused measures aim to ensure a smooth and incident-free festival.
