Puri, July 2: Construction of chariots for the upcoming Rath Yatra has reached the final phase, revealed Shree Jagannath temple administration (SJTA) administrator (rituals) Pradip Kumar Das at the third Rath Yatra coordination committee meeting here Thursday.
“The Rath committee is regularly inspecting the chariot construction work, which is at the concluding phase. Ropes for the chariots have been sourced from the state coir corporation. Around 1,600-metre furnishing fabric has been procured for the chariots,” Das said at the meeting.
Chief district medical officer (CDMO) Gyanendra Sahu elaborated on the preparedness of the health department for the mega event. “Altogether, 85 first-aid centres will be setup across the city and 105 ambulances will be deployed during Rath Yatra. Thirty ambulances will be deployed on Badadanda and equal number of first-aid centres will be established to tackle any eventuality. Around 2,000 volunteers with 350 stretchers will be engaged to shift the needy people to the nearest first-aid centre,” Sahu said.
Some participants expressed concern over sale of unhygienic food in the city and urged the health department to oversee the issue. The CDMO, however, claimed health officials have raided 1,000 eateries in and the outskirts of the city before destroying 15 quintals of stale food. Eight food inspectors have been deputed to inspect food served in hotels and restaurants in the city, he said.
The district administration has drawn flak over provision of inadequate accommodation to the devotees. It was alleged a large number of hotels have been booked for VIPs and government officials while leaving no scope for the devotees. Collector Aravind Agarwal, however, refuted the allegation and claimed that only 157 rooms have been reserved for VIPs and officials.
Participants raised concern over the poor quality of drinking water available in the city and asked the civic body to desilt wells ahead of the Rath Yatra. The meeting has decided to dig a few tube wells along the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway to provide drinking water to the commuters.
Superintendent of police Ashis Kumar Singh gave a detailed presentation on the security arrangement for mega festival. “A five-tier security system will be in place in the city for the Rath Yatra. Special thrust is being given to sea patrolling. Security personnel will keep tab on the movement of anti-social elements through an integrated close circuit television camera surveillance system,” Singh said.
Law minister Arun Kumar Sahoo presided over the meeting while revenue divisional commissioner Bikash Chandra Mahapatra coordinated it. Urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo, civil supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, energy minister Pranab Prakash Das, rural development minister Badri Narayan Patra, transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Nabakalebara infrastructure committee chairman Maheswar Mahanty, SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra and Nabakalebara OSD Soumendra Priyadarshi were present at the meeting. PTI
