Deputy Commissioner, Rohit Khajuria today reviewed the arrangements for the Navratra festival here at an officers’ meeting.Detailed deliberations were held on various aspects related to the smooth conduct of the festival.The meeting was attended by SSP, ADCs of Kathua, Billawar and Basohli, RTO Kathua, ASP, ACD, ACR, SDMs, AD FCS & CA, Executive Engineers and representatives of various temple and shrine committees.The DC directed the officers to ensure all necessary arrangements to facilitate the devotees during festivities.Arrangements like transportation, sanitation, drinking water, un-interrupted power supply, first aid facilities and keeping check on the rates and quality of eatables besides security arrangements were also thoroughly discussed in the meeting.The Deputy Commissioner directed ACD to start the repair of bridle paths leading to the temples and shrines.Similarly, the instructions were passed on to the PHE functionaries to ensure regular supply of drinking water at the shrines and important Yatra path routes. The PDD was also directed to ensure un-interrupted power supply to all the shrines. Barricading for the benefit of devotees was also discussed in the meeting.The Chief Medical Officer was directed to make available necessary medical facilities at all the shrines with life saving drugs first aid along with team of doctors. The FCS&CA department and CEO Municipal Committee were directed to keep check on the quality and rates of eatables in the markets and around temples and shrines.
The RTO was directed to provide adequate transport facilities on the routes of shrines and display fare list at bus stand for convenience of the pilgrims. The fire and emergency services departments were asked to deploy fire tenders at Jasrota Mata, Sukrala Mata and Mahanpur.In the meeting, the DC appealed the public to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in and around the religious places during the festival season and also gave stern warning to the officials to keep check on the use of polythene near temples and also issued advisory to the nearby shops and stalls to refrain from the use of polythene.The traffic officials and Tehsildars of the concerned areas were directed to identify areas for parking so that congestion of traffic can be avoided during the festival season. The Tehsildars of hilly areas along with MVD officials were directed to intensify vigil to check overloading of passenger vehicles during the festival season.The CMO and AD Fire and Emergency Services were directed to share contact numbers of drivers of Ambulance and Fire Tenders with the concerned ADCs and SDMs to meet any kind of exigency.The Members of management committees, Pujaris of temples and shrines projected various problems and demands. The Deputy Commissioner directed the concerned officers for early mitigation of the same.