In a significant administrative move ahead of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, the Odisha Police Headquarters has assigned senior IPS officer Saumendra Kumar Priyadarshi, Additional Director General of Police (Modernisation), as the overall in-charge for general police arrangements during the 2025 Rath Yatra and its associated rituals.
Priyadarshi will now oversee all police deployments and arrangements to ensure the safety of devotees, smooth traffic regulation, and law-and-order maintenance throughout the sacred celebrations.