CS reviews Republic Day preparations

Jammu, Jan 14: Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta Friday chaired a meeting to take stock of preparations to be put in place for Republic Day 2022.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that Chief Secretary directed the concerned to ensure arrangements regarding various facilities including transport, parking, seating, availability of drinking water, uninterrupted electricity supply, deployment of health, fire and emergency staff and equipment, cultural programmes and the illumination of important government buildings.

Mehta underscored the importance of observing the COVID SOPs and Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) by the participating contingents and audience and directed the concerned departments to ensure maintenance of social distance by the gathering with only 50 percent seating at the venues.

He impressed upon the Culture Department to lay special emphasis on befitting celebrations of the 73rd Republic Day under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ being observed across the country to celebrate 75 years of independence.

Mehta asked the Health Department to put in a mechanism for testing the participants before they participated in the event along with a thermal screening of the audience on the day of the function at both the venues.

He directed the Home Department, School Education Department, and the Youth Services and Sports Department to observe CAB and laid down protocols during the rehearsals.

Director General of Police (DGP), Administrative Secretaries of Departments of Health and Medical Education, Home, PWD (R&B), General Administration, Youth Services and Sports, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Rural Development, and Jal Shakti Department besides Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Additional Director General of Police along with Heads of Departments of the concerned departments participated in the meeting.

Detailed deliberations were held regarding the venues, security arrangements, parade and band contingents of Army, CRPF, Police, school children, cultural items, seating arrangements, transport and parking arrangements, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, medical aid, and emergency facilities.

During the meeting, it was informed that the main Republic Day functions would be organised at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, Srinagar, and MA Stadium Jammu.

Beating the Retreat ceremony would be organised on January 29, 2022.