The meeting in progress at SNTI Auditorium on Wednesday. (Bhola Prasad)

Jamshedpur, March 17: The district administration today directed the akhara committees to ensure that youths displaying skills at Ram Navami processions did not use tubelights and kerosene.

The directive was issued at a meeting on Ram Navami celebrations at SNTI Auditorium. The meeting was presided over by deputy commissioner R.K. Agarwal and attended by administrative officials and members of Central Peace Committee and various akharas.

Senior superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh said that use of tubelights and kerosene would be banned during this year’s celebrations due to safety reasons. Licence of akhara committees will be liable for cancellation if they violate the directive .

Ram Navami is on March 24 and the procession will be taken out on March 25. This year, 152 akhara committees will participate in the procession that will wound its way through various thoroughfares before culminating on the bank of Subernarekha.

The DC and the SSP also took stock of preparations for the festival. It was decided that the procession would follow the old route and deployment of adequate policemen and paramilitary personnel would be made to prevent any untoward incident. Rapid Action Force jawans will be posted at sensitive areas

Traffic arrangements were also discussed. Movement of heavy vehicles will be stopped on the day of the procession while plying of private vehicles will be restricted in the city after 2pm.

Representatives of Tata Steel and Tata Motors assured the administration that steps were being taken to ensure cleanliness and proper lighting arrangements at the ghat.