Bhubaneswar, May 8: The First Coordination Committee Meeting for the world-famous Rath Yatra 2026 was held today at the local Town Hall, chaired by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central Division), Cuttack. The session aimed to ensure a safe, well-organized, and disciplined celebration of the festival.

The meeting reviewed detailed preparations for the Rath Yatra scheduled on 16th July 2026and the Bahuda Yatra on 24th July 2026.

Key Highlights of the Meeting:

Action Plan Review:  Departments provided updates on the progress of chariot construction, the timely supply of wood, and related infrastructure. Officials emphasized strict adherence to deadlines to prevent challenges encountered in previous years.

Infrastructure and Logistics:  Discussions focused on strengthening drinking water facilities, ensuring uninterrupted electricity, maintaining sanitation, providing public health services, and managing transportation for the large number of devotees expected.

Safety, Law & Order, and Crowd Management:  Special attention was given to law enforcement, traffic regulation, and crowd control using threshold-based systems. Security measures will be multi-layered, with close coordination among various agencies.

Rituals and Servitor Coordination:  The meeting reviewed coordination between the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and servitors to ensure that all rituals are performed in a disciplined and timely manner.

The meeting was attended by Puri BJP MP Sambit Patra, IGP Central Range Dr. Satyajit Naik, District Collector of Puri, Superintendent of Police, Puri, local public Representives, senior temple administration officials, and heads of all key stakeholder departments.

The District Administration reaffirmed its commitment to a devotee-centric, safe, and spiritually enriching Rath Yatra 2026, in line with tradition.

Departments have been instructed to ensure the timely and effective execution of all tasks.