Odisha’s Steel City gearing up for Modi visit on Apr 1

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Rourkela, Mar 27:

A high level delegation of the Union Steel Ministry headed by its secretary Rajesh Singh visited Rourkela on Thursday and held a meeting with the top brass of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Odisha’s Steel City on April 1 to dedicate to the nation the modernization and expansion work of the plant.

“The Prime Minister has a programme to visit on April 1 to dedicate to the nation the modernization and expansion works done here. He is likely to spend two hours with us. We have to finalize which units of the plant he will be visiting. Everything has to be finalized. Functions will be organized to mark the occasion. Everything will be finalized today,” said Singh speaking to the media at Rourkela on Thursday.

The police department too has tightened security in the Steel City. The district administration and police have taken elaborate measures for the Prime Minister’s likely visit to the city, security for the Prime Minister being on the top of their agenda.

“We have pressed sniffer dog squad and DVF units into service. Frisking through hand-held metal detectors is being done at railway station, hotels, lodgings, bus stops and all suspicious places. Patrolling has been increased”, said S K Biswal, IIC Plant Site Police Station.

This would be the first visit of Modi to Rourkela after assuming office of the Prime Minister last year.

Meanwhile, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who is also the MP from Sundergarh Lok Sabha constituency, has sent SMS invitation to media persons seeking their presence at Rourkela on April 1 (Utkal Divas).

The detailed programme of the Prime Minister is yet to be released by the PMO.

The second expansion and modernization of RSP has been done at an expenditure of Rs 12,000 crore.