Samablpur: There will be no grand religious procession or bike rally during the Hanuman Jayanti celebration in Sambalpur this year in view of the twin elections in the State.
The district administration has barred any sort of procession during religious festivals after a meeting with the peace committee and representatives of other social outfits.
“We had decided in the last year peace committee meeting not to hold any grand religious procession for at least one year. Today, the peace committee agreed to continue the decision as the general election is round the corner. All the stakeholders gave their consent that no big procession, bike rally will be organised in the city during any festival including Mahaveer Jayanti, Ram Navami, Ramzan etc but we can celebrate it at our home, temple and mosque. No celebration is allowed on the road,” Sambalpur Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal said at a press meet after the meeting.
He also appeals to the people especially members of all the committees to celebrate the festival peacefully in the coming days.
Adequate security arrangements have been made for the festival as well as the election. CRPF personnel have reached the city. They have been deployed at strategic locations. District police will also cooperate with them, SP Mukesh Bhamu said.
It may be recalled that large-scale violence broke out in the city last year during Hanuman Jayanti celebration after some revellers sustained injuries in stone pelting during a bike rally. The incident had snowballed into major violence which had prompted the district administration to impose curfew in the town.
