JAMMU: Deputy Commissioner Jammu Dr. Rakesh Minhas on Thursday convened a meeting to review district-wide preparedness for the upcoming Diwali festival, aiming to ensure safe and smooth celebrations.
Reviewing the arrangements at different levels, the Deputy Commissioner underlined that the district administration has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the public while facilitating them to enjoy the festival. “Our endeavours should not be restrictive while also not compromising public safety,” Dr. Minhas said.
Dr. Minhas directed that all departments must coordinate effectively to uphold public confidence and minimise risks during the festive period.
The DC said that licence fee collection for crackers and fireworks stalls would be handled exclusively through online mode to reduce irregularities and ensure auditing. “Permissions for retail cracker stalls will be granted on a first-come first-serve basis after scrutiny by a specially constituted Committee and processed by a single window at DC office” he added.
The Committee, led by the Additional Deputy Commissioner with DC North (Jammu Municipal Corporation) as Member Secretary, will include other district officers to ensure due diligence and transparency.
The Committee will also review and revise stall permission fees, allowing timely price adjustments responsive to market conditions.
Other important discussions of the meeting covered mobilisation of medical emergency services, fire and emergency services, ensuring uninterrupted access and quality stock of essential supplies during the festival and keeping emergency response teams on alert for rapid deployment. Traffic management and security were also discussed as vital subjects during the meeting.
SSP Joginder Singh, SSP Traffic Farooq Qaiser, ADC Ansuya Jamwal, SDMs and other district officers attended the meeting.
