Hours after the tragic stampede during the famed Rath Yatra in Puri Odisha government on Sunday appointed senior bureaucrat Aravind Agrawal as in-charge of overall supervision of the grand festival in Puri.
In addition to his current role as the Secretary of the Higher Education Department Agrawal will now also oversee the chariot management for the grand festival.
The General Administration Department has issued directives for the overall supervision of the event to ensure smooth execution of responsibilities.
quotShri Aravind Agrawal IASRR-2007 Commissioner-Cum-Secretary to Government Higher Education Department with additional charge of Special Secretary to Government Sports YS Department is allowed to remain in charge of overall supervision of the Car Festival Puri in addition to his own dutiesquot read the notification issued by the General Administration Public Grievance Department on Sunday.
As part of immediate administrative reshuffle following the incident Puri District Collector and Superintendent of Police have been transferred. Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new District Collector while Pinak Mishra will take charge as the new SP of Puri. Additionally DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi have been suspended over allegations of negligence in duty.
Must ReadGajapati Maharaja expresses grief over Puri stampede urges Odisha govt for preventive measures
Odisha CM Mohan Majhi reportedly chaired a meeting with his deputies to assess Puri temple stampede situation. At least three persons were killed and around 50 others were injured in the stampede near the Gundicha Temple on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile Puris titular king Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb expressed shock over the stampede and appealed to the Odisha government to immediately carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.