
Transport minister rescues accident victim from site
BHUBANESWAR : Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena on Monday rescued a road accident victim and shifted him to a hospital in Puri in his escort vehicle.
The minister was en route to Ganjam after attending a coordination meeting on Rath Yatra when he noticed an injured motorist lying on the road after being hit by a truck near Andalsingh village in Puri. Jena immediately halted and asked his escort vehicle personnel to shift the injured man to the Puri district headquarters hospital.
He even pacified the people protesting against the erring truck driver and removed them from the spot. Subsequently, Jena headed towards Ganjam without his escort vehicle.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Puri cops conduct anti-terror drills ahead of Rath Yatra
Bhubaneswar: Two weeks ahead of Rath Yatra, which will draw lakhs of pilgrims, Puri police carried out mock drills on Friday at multiple locations to enhance preparedness against potential terrorist threats. Given the recent Indo-Pak tensions and the govt's invitation to VVIPs, including the President, Prime Minister, Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states to Rath Yatra, this year's festival will witness heightened security measures. "With lakhs of devotees expected to attend this year's Rath Yatra, ensuring foolproof security is our top priority. The simulation exercises help us identify gaps in our response mechanism and improve coordination among different security agencies," Vinit Agrawal, SP of Puri, said. The counter-terrorism mock drills were conducted at the Puri railway station and near the Jagannath Temple to evaluate how effectively rescue agencies can respond during emergencies. Police officers said the aim is to achieve smooth coordination between various response agencies to eliminate any possibility of uncertainty and chaos during actual emergencies. "Police, fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, National Disaster Response Force, healthcare professionals, and anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the special tactical group took part in the mock drills," Agrawal said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Forget Furosemide, Use This Household Item To Help Drain Edema Fluid WellnessGuide Learn more Undo The simulation exercises were conducted three days after Odisha police deployed a dedicated anti-terrorist squad near the shrine for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra. The ATS consists of urban warfare-trained commandos from Odisha police's special tactical group. Police recently positioned Rakshak, an armoured vehicle with bullet-proof capabilities, outside the Jagannath Temple. The vehicle is designed to resist intense artillery fire and explosive devices. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Safety most important during Digha rath: CM
Kolkata: The safety and security of people arriving in Digha for the Rath Yatra should be of paramount importance, chief minister said at a meeting on the marquee event scheduled for June 27. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now To prevent a stampede-like situation, it has been decided that devotees will be allowed to touch the rope but not pull the Rath. Additionally, the timing of the Yatra will be determined on the day of the Rath according to the situation. At the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, which began on a sombre note with prayers for those killed in the flight crash in Ahmedabad, the CM stressed the need to ensure that no accident occurs in Digha during the Rath Yatra. With an estimated two lakh people expected to attend the event, Banerjee and the district administration are wary about the crowd converging on the narrow road for the Rath Yatra. A large number of policemen and volunteers will be deployed to control the crowd. The administration has been asked to channel the crowd into the temple for darshan of the stone idols of Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra before the devotees visit the raths, touch the rope, and move on. The Jagannath temple has a holding capacity of 80,000 to 1 lakh people. Unlike Kolkata, where the Iskcon Rath traverses 7 km from Albert Road to the Maidan, the distance between the temple and Mashir Bari, where the Rath will reside for seven days, is less than a kilometre away. Hence, there is concern that there may be overcrowding on the stretch. "There is another concern. Unlike the raths in Kolkata that have steering and brake, the raths in Digha are traditional ones like Puri. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hence, they will roll at a very slow pace,. But still, it will not take more than an hour to cover the short distance," said Iskcon Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das. The decision on when to allow the actual Rath Yatra has been left to the police. The green signal for the Rath Yatra to begin will be given only when the crowd is manageable. Only volunteers will be allowed to pull the chariot. The CM will be present in Digha during the Rath Yatra and will present a golden broom to clean the chariot's path. She is expected to reach Digha on the eve of the event. Vehicle movement in the seaside town will be restricted from that day.


Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Anti-terrorist squad deployed in Puri ahead of Rath
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police, for the first time, deployed an anti-terrorist squad (ATS) in Puri ahead of the June 27 Rath Yatra with the govt anticipating over 10 lakh people, including potential VVIP guests such as Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-governed states, likely to attend the event. Deployment of ATS is significant given the current Indo-Pak relations and the govt sending out invitations to the president, prime minister and various state chief ministers for the annual celebration. The ATS, consisting of urban warfare-trained commandos from Odisha Police's special tactical group, took positions outside Jagannath Temple on Tuesday, a day before Wednesday's Debasnan Purnima ceremony, an essential pre-Rath Yatra festival. Odisha Police recently positioned Rakshak, an armoured vehicle with bullet-proof capabilities, outside the temple. This vehicle is designed to resist intense artillery fire and explosive devices. "The ATS deployment has enhanced our counter-terrorism capabilities at this strategic installation. Their presence will supplement our overall security arrangements for Debasnan Purnima on Wednesday and Rath Yatra on June 27. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Safety of the temple and devotees is our priority," Puri SP Vinit Agrawal said. IGP (central range) S Praveen Kumar and Agrawal inspected security arrangements for Debasnan Purnima. On the occasion of Debasnan Purnima, the sibling deities — Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra — would be given a ceremonial bath on Snan Mandap (bathing dais) on the shrine premises and would appear in Hati Besha in the evening. The temple administration has urged servitors not to stand in front of the idols. Devotees have been asked not to touch the deities during darshan. "We expect heavy footfall of devotees like last year. Convenience of devotees and smooth darshan is our priority. Nearly 70 platoons of police force have been deployed for security, crowd management and traffic regulation," Kumar said. Anticipating over 10 lakh devotees on Rath Yatra, Odisha Police have also emphasised on comprehensive CCTV monitoring. "Live surveillance using AI-enabled cameras and crowd control would be essential for public safety. We are also laying focus on gathering intelligence and securing the Puri coastline against possible threats," a senior police officer said.