Temple managements should inform officials beforehand about the expected number of devotees, plan for adequate bandobust: CS

Keeping in view the recent fatal incident at a private temple at Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand on Monday instructed officials to pay special attention to private temples in view of heavy influx of devotees.

He reviewed the activities of the department and people's perception at the RTGS office in the Secretariat here.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that several festivals and special occasions are lined up in the coming days, and therefore all temples are expected to witness large crowds. Officials must also focus on monitoring the private temples within their jurisdiction.

He directed that private temple managements must inform officials in advance about the number of devotees expected during festivals and special occasions, as well as the crowd-control measures being taken. He instructed officials to take necessary action accordingly.

Vijayanand said that for effective crowd control, temple authorities must obtain prior permission from the police and ensure that adequate security arrangements are made at the temples. This will help prevent any untoward incidents at the temple premises.

A guideline booklet should be prepared and issued to all private temples, detailing the steps to be taken by temple managements and trustees to control crowds during festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Dhanurmasam, and other important occasions.

Officials should not be negligent assuming that private temples are outside their purview. Although the responsibility of management lies with the temple authorities and trustees, strong bandobust must be ensured during peak crowd times.

Vijayanand instructed officials to give high priority to cleanliness in temples. Measures should be taken to prevent sanitation lapses and avoid stampede-like situations during heavy rush.

Fertilizers for Rabi Season

The Chief Secretary advised Agriculture Department officials to plan in advance and ensure that there is no shortage of fertilizers during the Rabi season.

Responding to this, agriculture officials stated that they have already ensured there is no shortage of fertilizers anywhere and that farmers are receiving sufficient supplies. They added that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the continuous availability of fertilizers during the upcoming Rabi season, preventing any shortage-related issues.

He also suggested that steps be taken to increase public usage of the "Manamitra WhatsApp Governance" platform.

The meeting was attended by IT and RTG Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni, CEO Prakhar Jain, Ex-Officio Special Chief Secretary Budithi Rajasekhar, AP Fibernet MD Geethanjali Sharma, Ratan Tata Innovation Hub CEO Dhatri Reddy and RTGS Joint Director Malika Garg.