Complete arrangements for car festival by the end of this month

Puri, Jun 24 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the officials to complete all arrangements, including the repairing and construction of roads in the city, by the end of this month for the smooth celebration of the car festival.

The Chief Minister was presiding over a meeting organised to take stock of arrangements made for the Rath yatra.

Mr Patnaik expressed concern over depleting under ground fresh water table of the city and asked the officials to preserve it.

District Collector Rashmiranjan Pattnaik apprised the meeting of the preparations made for supply of power and drinking water, healthcare services, provision of essentials, transport, traffic regulation, timely observance of temple rituals, sanitation, illumination of the city and police arrangements during the festival.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gopal Chandra Nanda asked police to take care of pilgrims during the VVIPs arrangements. He assured the meeting about adequate security being taken for the safe conduct of the festival.

He said one way traffic would be introduced along the Puri -Bhubaneswar route during the celebration of rath yatra on July 4, Bahuda on July 12 and during the celebration of Sunavesh on July 13.

Urban and Housing Minister K V Singhdeo, Law Minister Bishwabhusan Harichandan Minister, Energy Minister Suryanarayan Patro, Panchayati Raj Minister Raghunath Mohanty, Agriculture Minister Surendranath Nayak, Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal, Health Minister Sanatan Bisi, Parliament member Brajkishore Tripathy and local MLA Maheswar Mohanty were present at the meeting.

UNI XC-BD SJC RN2121