Elaborate security for President’s two-day Odisha visit

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Puri/Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Aug 6:

Odisha police has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure that President of India Pranab Mukherjee’s two-day visit to the state beginning tomorrow passes off without a hitch.

Besides personnel of the central security forces, commissionerate police will deploy about 63 platoons for the President’s security.

Speaking to newsmen in Bhubaneswar, Twin City commissioner of police Dr RP Sharma said; “While 33 platoons have been placed in Cuttack, 30 platoon have been deployed in Bhubaneswar to keep a tight vigil on all strategic roads, high-rise buildings and civil society groups likely to stage protest demonstrations on some issue or the other. This apart, intelligence wing has been asked to remain vigilant.”

A DCP rank officer has been put in charge of the President’s carcade during his visit to the Twin City, the Police Commissioner said.

The provisions contained in the Blue Book, which lays down security guidelines for the protection of the President, will be strictly followed during the security arrangements, he added.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik and IG RP Koche arrived in Puri and accompanied by the district superintendent of police (SP) Ashish Kumar Singh went to the helipad at Talabania, where the President’s helicopter would land, to oversee security measures and reviewed the mock carcade rally.

Tight security has been put in place with armed police force, dog squad and bomb disposal squad deployed at the helipad.

Besides, security has been beefed up in and around the Shri Jaganath temple. “All road intersections have been barricaded for the President’s visit,” the SP said.

As per the itinerary, the President will arrive at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at 1.45 PM. From there, he will proceed to Rameswar High School near Khordha and inaugurate the golden jubilee celebration of the school at 2.30 PM.

The function will be attended by Governor SC Jamir, School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, former MP and chairperson of National Commission for Women Mrs Jayanti Patnaik and Editor of Sambad, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

After attending the function, the President will leave for Puri where he will have a night halt at Raj Bhawan after the darshan of the Lords in Shri Jagannath temple.

The President, in what would be his fourth visit to Puri, will arrive in an IAF helicopter at the Talabania helipad at 4 PM tomorrow. From there, he will go to the Raj Bhawan. After a brief rest, he will visit Shri Jagannath Temple at 6 PM to have the darshan of the deities. He will stay inside the temple for about half-an-hour and return to the Raj Bhawan where he will spend the night.

The President will leave for Cuttack at around 10 AM the next day to inaugurate the second annual convocation of National Law University, Odisha (NLUO).

He will deliver the convocation address and award gold medals and degrees at the function to be held at Odisha Judicial Academy.

Governor SC Jamir and chief minister Naveen Patnaik will be guests of honour at the function to be presided by Justice Dipak Mishra of the Supreme Court in the presence of Chancellor and Chief Justice of Odisha High Court Justice DH Waghela.

“As many as 152 students will be conferred degrees of which 109 are undergraduate students passing out, 23 LLM students from 2013-14 batch and 19 LLM students from 2014-15 batch. Besides, one PhD degree would be awarded. A total of 16 gold medals will be given to students excelling in their respective disciplines this year. The names of the gold medallists will be announced on the day of the convocation and they would be awarded by the President,” said NLUO vice chancellor Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao.

Later in the day, Mukherjee will inaugurate an all-India seminar on ‘Global Legal Education’ being organized by the Confederation of Indian Bar and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar.