15 CAPF companies, 13k cops to be deployed in Puri during Rath: DGP

Bhubaneswar: Highly experienced police officers have been assigned the task of carrying out Rath Yatra crowd management, with a focus on traffic movement, DGP Y B Khurania said on Saturday, expressing confidence that devotees will get full cooperation and convenience.“As many as 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), including CRPF, BSF and Rapid Action Force, will be deployed to manage security for the Rath festival. Additionally, around 13,000 state police personnel will be deployed in Puri to manage traffic, control crowd, maintain law and order, and provide the required help to devotees throughout the festival,” said the DGP after holding a high-level meeting held in Puri.

He briefed police personnel, including top officers from various ranges and senior district officers, about their roles and responsibilities for an incident-free and seamless Rath Yatra on July 16.Khurania emphasised that the police administration is fully prepared to conduct this year’s Rath peacefully. He underscored the importance of incident-free conduct and smooth management of the festival, noting that lakhs of devotees are expected to visit Puri on the day.

“We should prioritise services and the security of the devotees. There is a need for a tolerant and polished attitude towards pilgrims,” Khurania said, adding new parking facilities have been developed at eight locations across the city to handle the rush of devotees.He highlighted the extensive arrangements for smooths ‘darshan’ as well as movement of the chariots.Meanwhile, police on Saturday launched a dedicated cyber safety awareness vehicle (Cyber Rath) in Puri.Crime branch officers said the Cyber Rath is aimed at creating awareness among tourists, pilgrims, hotel owners, residents and other stakeholders about cybercrime and ensuring prompt response to any such incident during the festival. Through the awareness campaign, cyberfrauds will be prevented. The message is to promote safe online practices.