In anticipation of massive gatherings during the upcoming festival season, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued directives for enhanced monitoring of private temples across the state. Chief Secretary K Vijayanand has instructed officials to pay special attention to these religious institutions to ensure safety and order.
Directives for Festive Season Safety
Reviewing the activities of the endowment department at the RTGS office in the Secretariat on Monday, Vijayanand highlighted the series of festivals and special occasions lined up in the coming days. He stated that all temples are likely to witness heavy footfall, making proactive measures essential.
The chief secretary explicitly directed officials not to assume that private temples fall outside their jurisdiction. While the day-to-day management responsibility lies with the temple authorities and trustees, the government must ensure strong bandobust (security arrangements) during peak crowd times.
He mandated that private temple managements must inform local officials in advance about the expected number of devotees and the crowd-control measures they plan to implement. For effective management, temple authorities are required to obtain prior permission from the police and arrange for adequate security.
Guidelines and Cleanliness Focus
To standardize procedures, a detailed guideline booklet will be prepared and issued to all private temples. This booklet will outline specific steps for crowd control during major festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Dhanurmasam.
Beyond crowd management, Vijayanand stressed the importance of maintaining hygiene. Officials were directed to prioritize cleanliness within temple premises, prevent any sanitation lapses, and take all necessary steps to avoid stampede-like situations during periods of heavy rush.
Agriculture and Digital Governance Review
Shifting focus to agricultural matters, the chief secretary advised officials to plan ahead to prevent any shortage of fertilizers during the crucial Rabi season. In response, agriculture officials assured the meeting that sufficient supplies are already in place and arrangements have been made for their continuous availability.
Vijayanand also suggested measures to increase public engagement with the Manamitra WhatsApp Governance platform, aiming to boost its usage for better citizen-government interaction.
The high-level meeting was attended by several senior officials, including IT and RTG Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni, CEO Prakhar Jain, Agriculture Special Chief Secretary Budithi Rajasekhar, AP Fibernet MD Geethanjali Sharma, Ratan Tata Innovation Hub CEO Dhatri Reddy, and RTGS Joint Director Malika Garg.
