Sambalpur: A meeting of the Sitalsasthi Peace Committee was held today in the District Council conference hall, chaired by District Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal. The meeting focused on discussing how to maintain peace and coordination during the Sitalsasthi festival.
Key decisions from the meeting included:
- Setting up control rooms at the District Headquarters Hospital and Sambalpur Municipal Corporation office.
- Arranging temporary health service centers at various city junctions.
- Providing ORS packets to every puja committee.
- Ensuring mobile ambulance services to handle emergencies.
- Cleaning roads, drains, and the Ring Road canal.
- Inspecting food preparation and quality at hotels and restaurants.
- Monitoring water levels at Ayodhya Sarovar and managing the Balibandha sluice gate.
- Ensuring 24-hour drinking water supply during the festival.
- Installing water storage tanks at various locations.
- Arranging a water tanker for every procession.
- Providing uninterrupted electricity supply.
- Making control rooms operational.
- Appointing junior engineers and staff at police stations for emergency management.
- Setting up additional lighting on roadsides and the Ring Road.
- Repairing street lights.
- Arranging special buses for the convenience of the public.
- Implementing fire safety measures and arranging fire brigade services for emergencies.
- Closing liquor shops.
- Broadcasting the event live on television.
- Deploying police to maintain law and order.
- Implementing traffic control and patrolling arrangements.
Attendees included Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamu, SMC Commissioner Vedbhushan, Additional District Magistrate Sucharu Kumar Bal, Sambalpur Sub-Collector Dr. Pushpanjali Panda, and other members of the Sitalsasthi Festival Committee. Notably, the first peace committee meeting regarding the Sitalsasthi celebration was called by the administration on May 30. All committee members attended for discussions. However, in that meeting, members expressed strong opposition and walked out when the District Collector was absent.