Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 6: Tight security measures have been put in place for the two-day visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to the state from Friday.
DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said 35 platoons will be deployed to guard roads through which the President’s convoy will pass and the places he will visit in the capital. The bomb and dog squads have meanwhile reached Puri and the Talbania helipad and Puri Raj Bhawan have been sanitised. The police headquarters will provide bullet-proof cars at Bhubaneswar, Rameswar, Khurda, Puri and Cuttack.
The President, who will be on his fourth visit to the state since becoming the head of state, will arrive at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at 1.35 pm Friday.
The President will then fly to Khurda to inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of Rameswar High School. Once the programme concludes at 3.15 pm, the President will head for the Raj Bhawan in Puri. Mukherjee, who will visit Jagannath temple in the evening, will stay the night at the Raj Bhawan. The next morning, he will attend the convocation of the National Law University in Cuttack before leaving for Bhubaneswar.
In the afternoon, he will inaugurate an all-India seminar on Global Legal Education at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology here. Mukherjee will leave for Delhi at at 6.30 pm.
DGPSanjiv Marik Thursday took stock of the security arrangements at Puri, while twin city police commissioner RP Sharma reviewed the arrangements in the capital city. Mock drills of carcades were also held in Puri and Bhubaneswar.
SJTA chief administrator Suresh Mohapatra reviewed the preparedness for the President’s visit.
“The President will visit the temple at 6 pm for about 30 minutes. During his visit, all gates of the temple will be sealed and the public will not be allowed to enter,” he said.
The Raj Bhawan in Puri has been renovated and a vegetarian menu is being prepared for the President. P3