Bhubaneswar, July 4:The Odisha Government has stepped up security and safety preparations for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, with a strong focus on ensuring a “Zero Casualty” festival during the globally renowned event.Ahead of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s scheduled review of Rath Yatra arrangements in Puri, Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania chaired a high-level meeting at the office of the Puri Superintendent of Police to assess the security and law-and-order situation.The meeting reviewed key aspects of festival preparedness, including crowd management, traffic regulation, emergency response, and overall security measures for the annual chariot festival, which attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, DGP Khurania said that more than 12,000 police personnel would be deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra. The security deployment will include over 200 platoons of police, personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), National Security Guard (NSG), specialised security units, and Home Guards stationed at strategic locations across Puri.He urged devotees and visitors to cooperate with the administration and strictly follow the traffic advisory issued by the police to facilitate seamless movement and effective crowd management throughout the festival.Expressing confidence in the extensive security arrangements, the DGP said coordinated efforts by the police, district administration, and other departments, coupled with public cooperation, would help ensure that the Rath Yatra is conducted peacefully, safely, and without any untoward incidents.The review meeting was attended by Additional DGPs R.P. Koche, Soumendra Priyadarshi, Arun Bothra, Sanjay Kumar, Amitabh Thakur, Rajesh Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Central Range) Dr. Satyajit Naik, and other senior police officials
Puri Rath Yatra 2026 DGP Khurania Reviews Security Preparedness Ahead of Puri Rath Yatra 2026
