Lucknow, Jul 24 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed officials to ensure comprehensive arrangements for the Kanwar Yatra and other upcoming festivals, saying the safety, convenience and dignity of every devotee should be the administration’s highest priority.
Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials, police commissioners, divisional commissioners, district magistrates and senior superintendents of police, the chief minister reviewed preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, Shravani Shivratri, Chehallum, Independence Day, Barawafat and Raksha Bandhan.
“During this grand festival of faith, the safety, convenience and dignity of every devotee are our highest priorities. Arrangements for law and order, traffic management, health services, cleanliness, food safety and public amenities during the Kanwar Yatra should be such that devotees do not face any inconvenience,” Adityanath said, according to an official statement.
He warned that strict action should be taken against those attempting to disturb communal harmony, spread rumours, indulge in food adulteration, overcharging or create disorder during the festival.
The chief minister directed that the Kanwar Yatra management model prepared by the Meerut Zone be shared with all police zones to ensure uniform arrangements across the state.
Observing that the pilgrimage now attracts lakhs of devotees from all regions of Uttar Pradesh, he instructed district administrations to maintain regular dialogue with Kanwar associations, complete verification of camp operators in advance and coordinate with authorities in Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttarakhand to ensure compliance with prescribed norms, including restrictions on the height of Kanwars.
Adityanath directed officials to immediately repair damaged roads on Kanwar routes and ensure adequate lighting, cleanliness, drinking water, toilets and other civic amenities. He also asked the Health Department to keep medical camps fully operational with sufficient stocks of essential medicines, including anti-venom and anti-rabies injections.
He instructed officials to establish changing rooms for women at major ghats and make regular public announcements along pilgrimage routes, accompanied by devotional music, according to the statement.
The chief minister also stressed food safety, directing that meat and liquor shops remain closed along Kanwar routes and warning against adulteration, unhygienic conditions and overcharging.
“The name of the operator should be clearly displayed at every shop. The sound level of DJs must remain within the prescribed standards, and deafening noise will not be accepted under any circumstances,” he said.
To strengthen security, Adityanath ordered increased police patrolling, CCTV and drone surveillance at sensitive locations, and close monitoring of suspicious activities.
“Misleading and fake information circulating on social media should be immediately countered, and strict action must be ensured against those attempting to disturb social harmony by spreading rumours,” he said.
Noting that water levels in some rivers have risen, the chief minister directed officials to strengthen safety measures at ghats and complete flood and erosion preparedness in vulnerable areas. He also instructed that VIP movement be planned in a manner that does not inconvenience devotees.
The chief minister asked officials to hold meetings with local public representatives over the next two to three days to review preparations and incorporate their suggestions for improving arrangements.
Reviewing administrative issues, Adityanath emphasised the time-bound disposal of revenue cases and directed that consolidation-related disputes be resolved impartially so that they do not affect social harmony.
Expressing concern over complaints of harassment of ration dealers in some districts, he instructed district magistrates to ensure that district supply officers function honestly and said any officer found guilty of corruption should be suspended immediately, followed by an open vigilance inquiry and legal as well as departmental action.
He also directed power distribution companies to promptly resolve complaints of excessive electricity billing, saying consumers should be billed strictly on the basis of actual power consumption and should not bear the burden of technical deficiencies. PTI KIS RUK RUK
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