SAMBALPUR: A day after the Orissa High Court gave green signal for Hanuman Jayanti procession in Sambalpur, the district police has decided to ramp up security across the city to prevent any untoward incident during the religious event.
Briefing the media on Friday, Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo said in view of Hanuman Jayanti and other related festivals starting from March 30, security has been beefed up across the city. Additional forces have been sent from the headquarters while CRPF personnel are already camping in the district. Besides, RAF personnel will also arrive in Sambalpur soon.
All sensitive pockets in the city have been identified. Installation of CCTV cameras will be completed in a few days. Patrolling has been intensified and peace committee meetings with various stakeholders are being held in a phased manner. “Highly sensitive areas like Motijharan, Sunapali, Zilla School chowk and Golebazar are being given top priority. These areas will also be under drone surveillance. We are keeping a close watch on anti-social elements and also tracking social media activities,” he said.
Security forces will be deployed in a phased manner with 20 platoons deployed across the city from March 30. The number of platoons will increase to 35 on April 6 for Ram Navami and further to 40 on April 14 for Hanuman Jayanti. The SP appealed to the public to extend support in ensuring peaceful conduct of the festival.
“All festivals carry the message of peace and harmony. We are trying our best to prevent untoward incidents like those in previous years. We also seek the help of locals in maintaining law and order in the city,” Bhamoo added.
Notably, Hanuman Jayanti is being celebrated in Sambalpur after a gap of one year. In 2023, more than 15 people including police personnel were injured due to stone pelting during the bike rally organised by various Hanuman Jayanti committees before the main festival. Two days later on the day of Hanuman Jayanti, a tribal youth from Sanasinghari village was fatally stabbed on Mahanadi Ring Road. Following the incident, several shops at Golebazar market and other parts of the city were torched.
To restore normalcy, the administration imposed section 144 in the district while internet services were suspended for over 10 days. The district administration also issued an order prohibiting celebration of any religious festival for a period of one year.