Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan today to assess preparations for the upcoming Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath scheduled on July 24.
He directed officials to prioritise crowd management and strengthen real-time information flow to ensure smooth conduct of the rituals.
The Chief Minister emphasised that no compromise would be tolerated in matters of law and order or security. He advised officials to adopt scientific methods to monitor crowd density and integrate CCTV feeds with the command-and-control system for immediate response to potential issues.
Majhi appealed to devotees and pilgrims to strictly follow the guidelines issued by the administration and police. He expressed gratitude to sevayats, officials, and staff for their dedication during the Rath Yatra despite adverse weather conditions, praising their teamwork and commitment to service.
The meeting noted that all rituals of the Rath Yatra have been conducted smoothly so far. With Bahuda Yatra, Suna Besha, and Niladri Bije ahead, the Chief Minister urged officials to maintain the same level of vigilance and coordination.
Expressing sorrow over the death of two devotees due to health complications during the festival, Majhi conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and announced Rs 10 lakh assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Senior officials including Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Dr Arabinda Padhee, DGP Y.B. Khurania, Fire Services DG Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi, and ADG Soumendra Priyadarshi presented detailed updates on security and logistical arrangements. Law and Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, CM’s Advisor Prakash Mishra, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, and Development Commissioner D.K. Singh also attended the meeting.
