Bhubaneswar, Jul 11: An NSG unit will be part of the security arrangements for Rath Yatra 2026 in Puri as Odisha Police has drawn up an extensive operational plan involving 19 IPS officers, nearly 13,000 police personnel and 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the annual festival. The security blueprint also includes specialised officers for traffic management, crowd regulation, temple coordination, intelligence and coastal security.

Odisha Director General of Police YB Khurania on Saturday reviewed the preparations and directed all officers to discharge their duties with a spirit of service and friendliness while ensuring smooth management of the festival. Besides personnel from the CAPFs, forces from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) will also be deployed, while the NSG wing will function as part of the overall security arrangement.

19 IPS Officers Assigned Key Responsibilities
Additional DGP Soumendra Priyadarshi will supervise the overall security operation.

Senior IPS officer Pinak Mishra has been entrusted with overseeing Jagannath temple rituals, coordinating with servitors and ensuring the timely conduct of Pahandi rituals.

Amitabh Thakur will head the traffic management wing with support from Kanwar Vishal Singh.

Sanjay Kumar has been assigned responsibility for law and order, while Sarthak Sarangi and Jugal Kishore will supervise the general cordon arrangements.

The Integrated Control Room will be managed by Battula Gangadhar and Parmar Smit Parshottamdas, while RP Koche will oversee security and Special Branch arrangements.

IG Deepak Kumar has been placed in charge of the Special Force, whereas IG Satyabrata Bhoi, Charan Singh Meena and Awinash Kumar will supervise crowd regulation and the outer general cordon.

Additional DGP Arun Bothra will oversee railway and coastal security during the festival.

Also Read: Odisha CM Reviews Puri Rath Yatra Preparations; Stresses Coordination, Communication

Traffic Plan Strengthened
Traffic arrangements will be led by Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur with the assistance of seven SP-rank officers.

Within Puri town, traffic will be managed through four zones and eight sectors, while traffic outside the town will be regulated through five zones and 11 sectors.

Police have identified 31 parking locations for vehicles, and glow signages and directional boards have been installed at various locations to guide devotees.

Learning from previous years, Odisha Police has decided to place special focus on night-time vehicle movement to ensure smoother traffic flow. Discussions have already been held with the police authorities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Khordha for coordinated traffic management.

Integrated Control Room, Digital Information System
For the first time, an on-site control room has been established at the Gundicha Temple, while an Integrated Control Room will operate from Town Police Station.

Devotees will receive traffic and festival-related updates through the Puri Police website, a WhatsApp chatbot, and LED information boards installed at 65 locations across the city.