10,000 security personnel deployed for Rath Jatra

The Odisha government has deployed 10,000 security personnel in this holy town for the annual Rath Jatra of Lord Jagannath which will be attended by lakhs of people on Thursday, a senior official said Wednesday. Anticipating a congregation of around 10 lakh devotees on the Rath Yatra day, 10,000 strong force has been deployed on the ground, while personnel of Indian Navy and Coast Guard will patrol in the sea, the official said.

As many as 142 platoons of Odisha police, about 1,000 officers of various ranks, 2,450 Home Guards, three company of RAF, two units of ODRAF, one unit NDRF, three company OSAF besides eight anti-sabotage teams, a bomb disposal squad with sniffer dogs have been deployed in Puri, the official said. Two ADGP rank officers, five IGPs and 1,000 commandant rank officers will supervise the security arrangements.

"We are prepared for any situation apart from VVIP security," said Soumendra Priyadarshi, the IGP, Central Range, adding for the smooth and safe conduct of the event a mock drill of pulling of chariots was also conducted. Meanwhile, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration Chief Administrator P K Mohapatra said: "We have already prepared a time line for the procession of deities and pulling of chariots. With the cooperation of all the stakeholders, rituals will go on smoothly." "We will certainly meet the timeline given by the administration. The servitors will fully cooperate with the administration to make the festival a grand success," said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor.

Apart from the police, different state government departments like health, urban and housing development department, sanitation and others are doing their best to make the occasion a grand success, said Mohapatra. The three deities - Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra's chariots will be pulled by the devotees in the presence of lakhs of people on the grand road.

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