With just weeks to go before lakhs of devotees descend on Puri for the world-famous Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra, the Odisha Police has swung into high gear.
A high-powered review meeting chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania was held today at the State Police Headquarters, where senior officers were given clear marching orders: make every arrangement foolproof, seamless, and devotee-friendly.
The sacred chariot festival will unfold with its traditional grandeur, beginning with Debasnana Purnima on June 29, followed by Nabajoubana Darshan on July 14, the grand Rath Yatra on July 16, Hera Panchami on July 20, Bahuda Yatra on July 24, Suna Besha on July 25, and culminating with Niladri Bije on July 27.
Expecting an unprecedented influx of pilgrims from India and abroad, the police have vowed to turn Puri into a model of safety and order.
DGP Khurania was unequivocal: “We must strengthen every layer of security and management. Work in perfect coordination from the grassroots level so that not a single lapse occurs anywhere.” He directed officers to treat the occasion with the same reverence as the rituals themselves.
Key new measures announced today include:
- Eight additional parking zones to ease traffic congestion.
- Special “clearance parties” to ensure the chariots move smoothly without any obstruction.
- Crack teams are deployed at high-density zones for swift crowd control.
- Extra CCTV cameras at all critical locations.
- Road dividers, delineators, and dedicated traffic zones for better flow.
- A full-scale crime-control drive across every police station, including regular hotel and lodge inspections.
- Photographs of habitual out-of-state offenders to be displayed on LED screens at railway stations and bus stands.
- Intensified beach patrolling and temporary police outposts along the coast.
- Robust security at Puri, Bhubaneswar, Khordha, and Jatni railway stations in close coordination with the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
- Deployment of Rakshak vehicles, K-9 squads, NSG-trained SOG teams, and STU units.
- Special arrangements for orderly darshan, barricading, and quick resolution of any emergency through seamless coordination with the district administration.
The DGP also laid special emphasis on emergency response, accident management, and real-time inter-departmental coordination to handle any untoward situation.
Senior officers who attended the meeting included ADG (Crime Branch) Binaytosh Mishra, Director (Intelligence) R.P. Koche, ADG (Modernisation) Saumendra Kumar Priyadarshi, ADG (Rail & Coastal Security) Arun Bothra, and many more. Puri SP Prateek Singh and other key officials joined virtually.
With these comprehensive steps, Odisha Police aims to deliver a historic, incident-free Rath Yatra that matches the divine spirit of Lord Jagannath’s annual journey.
