Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday chaired a meeting to review the preparedness made for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath here and sought cooperation for all for smooth conduct of the festival scheduled for July 1.
Joining the review meeting through videoconferencing mode, Patnaik expressed happiness that devotees would also participate in the Rath Yatra after two years of the Covid pandemic.
As a large number of devotees are likely to visit Puri to witness the Yatra, he asked the concerned officials to make advance arrangements to ensure that people return with a pleasant experience from Puri.
He thanked the Sevayats for their cooperation in conducting the Rath Yatra without participation of devotees during the pandemic period. The Seveyats alone pulled the chariot to the Gundicha Temple during the past two years.
Attending the meeting, Law Minister Jagannath Sarka briefed about the preparations made for the Rath Yatra. Development Commissioner PK Jenna also presented detailed information about the preparations.