Strict Vigil on Private Temple Festival Plans in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: With the festival season approaching and heavy crowds expected across temples, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand on Monday directed officials to maintain a strict vigil on the arrangements being made by private temples.

No lapses should be tolerated during peak pilgrim rush, he said, and stressed that private temple managements must inform the district authorities in advance about the number of devotees expected and submit detailed plans for crowd management.

Based on these inputs, officials would ensure adequate bandobast and other support.

Vijayanand said temple authorities should obtain prior permission from the police and coordinate closely with law-enforcement agencies. He also sought the preparation of guidelines in the form of a booklet for all private temples. These would outline mandatory safety, crowd-control, and the security protocols to be followed during major events.

The Chief Secretary said cleanliness should be a top priority. “Sanitation lapses must be avoided, and steps be taken to ensure that no stampede-like situation arises during heavy rush hours. The responsibility may lie with the management and trustees, but officials must ensure strong supervision and support.”

Turning to agriculture, Vijayanand asked the department to ensure there was no shortage of fertilizers during the Rabi season. Agriculture officials informed him that sufficient stocks were already in place and continuous availability has been guaranteed, preventing any supply-related issues for farmers.

Vijayanand advised officials to encourage greater public usage of the ‘Manamitra WhatsApp Governance’ platform to enhance service delivery and quick grievance redressal.

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, RTGS joint director Malika Garg etc.