Odisha to set up special security battalion for Puri’s Jagannath temple: CMO

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal following feedback by the 5T chairman VK Pandian after discussions with stakeholders

Published on: Dec 25, 2023, 20:27:41 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Monday said a special security battalion will be set up for the Jagannath temple in Puri that would focus on the security of the temple, crowd management, and assist scores of devotees who visit the temple, the state government said in a statement on Monday.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal following feedback by the 5T chairman VK Pandian after discussions with stakeholders, the statement said

“The new battalion would have the primary responsibility of providing full-proof security to the temple, will be specially trained for better crowd management and to ensure hassle-free and orderly darshan by devotees,” the chief minister’s office said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

The Special Security Battalion would have around 1,190 personnel, and would be placed under the command and control of the Puri superintendent of police, the statement said.

Officials said the daily number of devotees visiting the temple is expected to significantly increase from the existing 50,000 once the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project (SMPP) abutting the Meghanada Pacheri (stone boundary around Jagannath Temple) is opened on January 17.

The project, being built at a cost of ₹943 crore, would ensure that the rectangular corridor around the 12th century Jagannath temple becomes a modern-day pilgrim centre complete with all modern amenities including a queue management facility for 6,000 devotees, baggage screening facility, cloakroom for keeping belongings of nearly 4000 families, drinking water, toilet facilities and facilities for washing hands/feet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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