Jan 17 declared as government holiday in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The state government has announced January 17 as a holiday to facilitate people’s participation in the inauguration of Jagannath temple heritage corridor project at Odisha’s Puri town.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared January 17 as a government holiday in Odisha so that people can participate in the inauguration of Srimandir Parikrama project at Puri, said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in a statement today.

All government offices and educational institutions including schools and colleges will remain closed on January 17, it added.

Many dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Odisha are scheduled to attend the inauguration of Srimandir heritage corridor project.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has invited representatives from at least 90 religious shrines and institutions across the country to the mega event.

It is expected that around 5 lakh devotees will participate in the inaugural ceremony of the heritage corridor project.

The administration will deploy at least 44 platoons of police personnel to provide security, maintain law and order and manage traffic at Puri on the occasion.

It has installed around 500 CCTV cameras across the coastal town as part of foolproof security arrangements for the mega event, sources said.