Bhubaneswar, July 15: Police today conducted a mock drill on the reserve ground in Puri ahead of rath yatra.

During the drill, the police personnel were divided into groups and assigned duties with three jeeps masquerading as three chariots pulled by the jawans.

A police official said the plan was to have strong-armed personnel in the inner cordon of the chariots while others would be kept in the outer cordon.

The objective of the mock drill was to train the cops on how to control the chariots and the ropes during the pull, so that the cars do not deviate from the track and cause a mess.

"Along with the Rapid Action Forces, around 12 platoons of police would be deployed for each of the chariots. Besides, the Grand Road would be divided into several zones and adequate security forces would be deployed to control the crowd and maintain strong vigil," said inspector general Soumendra Priyadarshi, who is on special duty for the mega event.

Director-general of police Sanjeev Marik, along with other police officials and officers from all the departments and government agencies engaged in the event, were present during the drill. They not only observed the proceedings, but also shared their views and suggested necessary changes that would be helpful on the rath yatra day.

Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu would reach the state tomorrow to inaugurate several new projects in various parts of the state, including Puri. Prabhu would inaugurate a new station at Malatipatpur near the holy town.

Besides, the East Coast Railway has also decided to run 200 special trains to Puri on the occasion. "Depending on the turnout, we will also add extra coaches to the existing trains to Puri," said a railway official.

The railway has also set up a tourist complex to provide shelter to around 5,000 people in Puri, keeping the huge crowd in mind.The Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force would also keep vigil at the railway station and adjacent areas. Besides, closed-circuit television cameras also have been installed at the station for better surveillance.