A watch tower outside Puri temple. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, April 27: As the first step towards enhancing security in and around the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri, the shrine’s administration today decided to issue identity cards to the servitors who are an integral part of performance of various daily rituals of the deities.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Chhatisa Nijog, a confederation of servitors, presided over by the chief temple administrator Arvind Padhee. In the second phase, identity cards would be issued to other employees of the temple.

The meeting, in which many servitors were present, also decided that servitors and other employees of the temple, which attracts lakhs of people from around the world during the annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings, would follow any security guidelines issued by the police to ensure fool-proof security of the shrine.

Today’s meeting came in the wake of another held yesterday by senior police officials to discuss measures to enhance security in and around the temple which is visited daily by thousands of people. Though security check at its gates has been made stricter and metal detectors and closed-circuit television cameras have been put in place, there is still apprehension that things may go wrong during rush hours.

The vulnerability of the temple has increased because of its seaside location. Lack of security along the coast may prompt terrorists planning an attack to take the sea route to land in Puri where a marine police station is yet to be set up. Sources said four marine police stations were proposed for Puri district, including one at Penthakata in Puri town, but there was progress on this front. “A marine police station constitutes the first layer of security as far as sensitive targets along the coast are concerned. The sooner these police stations are set up the better,” said a police officer.

Sources, however, said that steps were being taken to upgrade security in Puri in view of the rath yatra, which would be held in June this year, and the Naba Kalebar (idol changing) ceremony to be organised in 2015.