Puri: The Puri police and para-military forces on Sunday conducted a chariot-pulling mock drill at the reserve ground in Puri ahead of Jagannath Rath Yatra scheduled on Tuesday.
All arrangements for the Rath Yatra have finalised by the Puri district administration for the smooth conduct of the festival. Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal reviewed the security arrangements for the Rath Yatra on Sunday.
Briefing the media after the review meeting, the DGP said that a total of 170 platoons of the police force will be deployed in and around Puri for the smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra. Besides, special arrangements have been made for chariot pulling, crowd management, traffic control, and security of VVIPs, he informed.
During the festival, Pilgrim Town will be 14 zones and 29 sectors. More than 50 CCTV cameras will be installed at different places in Bada Danda (Grand Road), Srimandir, and Gundicha Temple, the DGP said.
Meanwhile, Dayal Ganwar, ADG Railways, told reporters that they have made elaborate arrangements for the safety and security of the devotees visiting Puri during the Rath Yatra festival. “We have held coordination meetings with the Navy personnel, district administration, and district police to ensure that the festival is conducted smoothly. At the same time, we have requisitioned additional manpower to ensure that the devotees do not face any problems during their stay in Puri.”
