Navratra festival arrangements discussed at Kathua

DC conducts comprehensive review of preparedness for nine Day festival

KATHUA, October 10: Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rakesh Minhas today chaired a meeting of officers to review the arrangements for the ensuing Navratra festival here in the DC Office complex.

During the meeting, detailed deliberations were held with regard to the arrangements viz cleanliness, sanitation, drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, traffic plan and checking of rates of eatables besides security arrangements in and around the important temples and shrines of the district.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the Jal Shakti Department functionaries to ensure regular supply of drinking water at the shrines and other important points enroute to shrines. He directed concerned XENs of PMGSY divisions to repair Mata Bala Sundri, Mata Sukrala, Doula Mata, Jasrota Mata, Jourian Mata shrines, further directed concerned BDOs to repair bridle paths leading to the temples and shrines.

Similarly, the instructions were passed on to the PDD department to  make provision of additional transformers for Mata Jourian and Mata Bala Sundri shrines to meet any contingency besides ensuring uninterrupted power supply to all the shrines.

The DC directed that representatives of Mandir management to not use polythene bags for distribution of parshads besides opting traditional pattal-dona for langar.

The RTO Kathua was directed to ensure no overloading and overcharging by the transporters on Yatra routes and to take action against the defaulters. He also directed the Traffic Police department to regulate proper traffic to rule out any traffic congestion during Navratra festival. 

ASP Kathua was directed to maintain a proper security grid in and around important shrines and temples of the district. 

The DC assured Mandir authorities that necessary logistics will be provided by district administration so that timely repair of defunct high mast lights near Mandir complex falling in their respective jurisdictions can be worked out. 

The meeting decided that committees headed by concerned Tehsildar to regularly inspect the market to keep a regular watch on cleanliness, single use plastic, eatables, overcharging etc.

The Department of Legal Metrology and Food Safety were directed to visit eateries, sweet shops to ensure quality of eatables, adulteration and submit daily reports to the Deputy Commissioner Office.

Members of management committees, Pujaris of temples and shrines projected various problems and demands for which the Deputy Commissioner directed the concerned officers for their mitigation.

Similar instructions were also issued to ADC Billawar, ADC Basohli and SDM Bani joined virtually to ensure all logistic and other services by different departments to be extended for smooth observance of Navratra festival.

ADC Kathua Ranjit Singh, SDM Hiranagar, CPO Kathua CEO Kathua and all other concerned officers of various departments were present in the meeting.