Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 25 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the Special Security Battalion for Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's office.

"Based on the feedback given by Chairman 5T and Navin Odisha VK Pandian after discussion with all the stakeholders, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the creation of a dedicated Special Security Battalion for providing foolproof security to Srimandir Puri, crowd management and devotee facilitation," said the statement.

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The Special Security Battalion would have around 1190 personnel, and it would be placed under the command and control of the Superintendent of Police, Puri.

The world-famous Shri Jagannath Temple has been envisioned and conceptualised to render full-proof security, better facilitation of the devotees, and crowd management measures, said the statement.

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The Jagannath temple, the centre of faith for Hindus, draws thousands of devotees every day.

In the post-COVID period, the daily footfall of devotees was estimated to be about fifty thousand, whereas it doubled and tripled during the weekends and on important religious occasions.

The anticipated flow of devotees is likely to witness a substantial increase after the dedication of the new Heritage Corridor Project, Srimandir Parikrama Prakalp, to the public, said the statement.

It's an important project under the 5T initiatives.

The new battalion would have the primary responsibility of providing foolproof security to the temple and they would be specially trained for better crowd management and tourist/devotee facilitation to ensure a hassle-free and orderly darshan by the devotees. (ANI)

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