Bhubaneswar: Troublemakers better take note as the Commissionerate Police has decided to throw a thick blanket of security on City thoroughfares by deploying 31 platoons of police force during the Durga Puja from October 20 to 25. According to the twin city Commissionerate Police, 31 platoons of police including 12 additional deputy commissioners of police (DCPs), 23 assistant commissioners of police (ACPs), 41 inspectors, 151 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), 119 traffic constables, 70 APR constables and 207 OAPF constables will be deployed to keep tabs on mischief mongers. The police further said that control rooms have been set up at six places in the city and striking force will intervene wherever required.
Police Commissioner Saumendra Priyadarsi said, “There will be strict blocking and checking during the Durga Puja along with traffic restrictions.
Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to ply on main roads in the City.” Bhubaneswar DCP will monitor the entire security arrangement round-the-clock, he added, while appealing to residents to ensure safety at their houses while stepping out on the occasion of the festival. According to sources, the Temple city will see as many as 185 puja pandals including the prominent ones like Nayapalli, Saheed Nagar, Rasulgarh, Bomikhal, Baramunda, Jharapada and Old Station Bazar. The puja will start from Shasthi (October 20) and continue till (Dussehra) October 24.
Various puja committees have fully geared up to kick-start the auspicious event. Like every year, most of the pandals are now either ready or are being decked up for festivities. It is riot of lights and colours all the way from the pandals to the city thoroughfares which follow different themes. While puja pandals in Cuttack are mostly known for their silver tableaux, the pandals designs in Bhubaneswar pull huge crowds. Every puja pandal has tried to create something different using their unique ideas and arts in full capacity. Taiwan Buddha temple in Rasulgarh, Mani Mahal in Nayapalli, Hastinapur Palace in Bomikhal, White Palace in Saheed Nagar, Golden Palace in Jharpada, Thailand Buddha Temple in Baramunda and Kolkata city monuments in Old Town would be the main attractions.
Apart from erecting spectacular pandals, the puja committees have arranged various cultural events and entertainment programmes to further amp up the festive mood. Naba Kishore Behera, a core member of Nayapalli Puja Committee, said, “On Shasthi, there will be Kalash Yatra and in the evening there will be bhajan mahotsav by Sushant Das. This apart, there will be organising Ramleela programme and ‘Khichuri bhog’ on Mahashtami.” Rasulgarh Durga Puja Committee secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said that they have arranged melody programme everyday from Shasthi till Dashami.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
