India News | U'khand DGP Administers Oath to Security Personnel for Conducting Grand, Safe Kumbh

Haridwar, Mar 28 (PTI) Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar on Sunday administered an oath to over 10,000 police personnel and paramilitary staff on the banks of the Ganga here to conduct a safe and grand Kumbh Mela while behaving decently with the devotees.

The paramilitary staff included those from CRPF and ITBP.

The Uttarakhand Police chief asked the personnel deployed on Kumbh duty to conduct the event successfully while ensuring strict compliance to the COVID-19 protocol.

Organising the congregation this year amid rising cases of coronavirus is a huge challenge for the security agencies.

The large gatherings of devotees for a holy dip in the Ganga here on the occasions of Makar Sankranti and Mahashivratri has been considered as a trial run for the three main bathing dates of April 12, 14 and 28 

Normally held for four months from January to April, the duration of Kumbh this year has been shortened to just one month for the safety of pilgrims owing to the pandemic.

Earlier, the DGP performed a puja at the Har ki Pauri ghat in the presence of IG Sanjay Gunjyal and Mela SSP Janmejay Khanduri.  

Finishing touches are being given to Kumbh preparations in Haridwar under close supervision of senior officials, including Chief Secretary Om Prakash, DGP Ashok Kumar, Mela officials Deepak Rawat and Mela IG Sanjay Gunjyal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)