Lucknow Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed officials to ensure comprehensive arrangements for Kanwar Yatra and other upcoming festivals, saying the safety, comfort and dignity of every devotee should be the administration’s top priority.
Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials, police commissioners, divisional commissioners, district magistrates and senior superintendents of police, the prime minister reviewed the preparations for Kanwar Yatra, Shravani Shivratri, Chihalom, Independence Day, Barawat and Raksha Bandhan.
“During this major festival of faith, the safety, comfort and dignity of every devotee is our top priority. Arrangements for law and order, traffic management, health services, hygiene, food safety and public facilities during Kanwar Yatra shall be such that the devotees do not face any inconvenience,” Adityanath said, according to an official statement.
He warned that strict action should be taken against those who try to disturb communal harmony, spread rumours, indulge in food adulteration, overcharging or create chaos during the festival.
The Chief Minister directed that the Kanwar Yatra administration model prepared by Meerut district should be shared with all police districts to ensure uniform arrangements across the state.
Noting that the pilgrimage now attracts thousands of devotees from all districts of Uttar Pradesh, he directed the district administrations to maintain regular dialogue with Kanwar associations, fully verify camp operators in advance and coordinate with authorities in Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttarakhand to ensure compliance with stipulated norms, including Kanwar hike restrictions.
Adityanath directed the officials to immediately repair the damaged roads on Kanwar roads and ensure adequate lighting, cleanliness, drinking water, toilets and other civic facilities. He also asked the Ministry of Health to keep the medical camps fully operational with adequate stocks of essential medicines, including anti-venom and anti-rabies injections.
He instructed officials to set up changing rooms for women in the Great Ghats and make regular public announcements along pilgrimage routes, accompanied by devotional music, according to the statement.
The Prime Minister also stressed on food safety, directed that meat and liquor shops be kept closed along Kanwar roads, and warned against adulteration, unhygienic conditions and price increases.
“The name of the operator must be clearly displayed in every store. The sound level of DJs must remain within the prescribed standards, and deafening noise will not be accepted under any circumstances,” he said.
To enhance security, Adityanath ordered increased police patrols, CCTV and drone monitoring at sensitive locations, and close monitoring of suspicious activities.
He called for an immediate response to misleading and fake information circulating through social media, and to take strict measures against those who try to disrupt social harmony by spreading rumours.
Referring to the rising water levels in some rivers, the Prime Minister directed officials to strengthen safety measures in the Ghats and be fully prepared for floods and erosion in vulnerable areas. He also instructed to plan the movement of VIPs in a way that does not disturb the worshipers.
The Prime Minister asked the officials to hold meetings with representatives of the local public in the next two-three days to review the preparations and incorporate their suggestions to improve the arrangements.
Reviewing the administrative issues, Adityanath ensured disposal of revenue cases within a stipulated time frame and directed that merger-related disputes be resolved neutrally 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 work honestly, and said any officer found guilty of corruption should be suspended immediately, followed by an open vigilance investigation and legal and administrative action.
He also directed power distribution companies to immediately settle complaints of excessive electricity bills, saying that consumers’ bills should be paid strictly on the basis of actual power consumption, and they should not bear the burden of technical shortcomings.
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