Security put in place for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra

Puri: The authorities on Thursday decided to divide the entire area from Srimandir to Gundicha temple into several sectors and put a senior police officer in charge of each sector for the smooth celebration of Rath Yatra on July 1.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Additional Director General of Police (law and order) R K Sharma. The meeting finalised the security arrangement in and around Srimandir, Gundicha temple and Badadanda and also traffic regulation.
Sharma told mediapersons that Srimandir alone has been divided into 13 sectors and adequate number of police personnel with senior officers in-charge of each sector will be deployed for Pahandi of the deities to their respective chariots under the supervision of IGP Narasingh Bhol. Similar security arrangements have been made for Gundicha temple where deities will stay during their visit.
S Dev Dutta Singh, IGP (headquarters) and DIG J N Pankaj will remain in-charge of Rath cordon and pulling of chariots. Emphasis is given on smooth management of vehicular traffic and regulating crowd expected in large numbers this year as devotees are allowed to participate in the grand event after a gap of two years. Rath Yatra was observed without devotees for the past two years due to the Covid pandemic.
Sharma said pilgrim and vehicular traffic along the city roads connected to Badadanda and main roads to Puri will be regulated through an integrated police control room.
IGPs Satyabrata Bhoi and Amitav Thakur, DIG Anirudh Singh and Puri SP K Vishal Singh participated in the meeting.