TV
The security personnel including the jawans of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) had to face a hard time after they were forced to sleep in a bleak under-construction building without basic amenities.
As per reports, the security forces that were entrusted with the safety of lakhs of devotees and the smooth management of Rath Yatra were provided the under-construction Jagannath Ballav parking complex to sleep. Open floors without any walls to protect their privacy was the sole arrangement that the administration could provide.
floors wet with the rainwater made the place unhygienic to sleep. The personnel had to prepare food and sleep on the same dirty floor. On top of that, an open floor hardly provided any privacy.
Speaking to OTV, an IRB jawan said, “We hardly got time to rest during Rath Yatra. But whatever time we spent resting here, we were regularly disturbed by outsiders and visitors who come to this under-construction open building uninvited.”
“Apart from that, we found it hard to clean ourselves and go to the toilet after returning from duty at 2am every night. This is an under-construction building. So the toilets are yet to function,” he said.
“We performed our duties to the best of our abilities. And I am sure the district administration has also tried to do its best given the occasion,” he added.
As per reports, as many as 170 platoons of police force were deployed in the pilgrim town for the smooth and timely conduct of the Rath Yatra.
