Utkal varsity turns into fortress for CM's visit

Bhubaneswar: The Utkal University campus turned into a virtual fortress for the visit of Chief minister Naveen Patnaik to inaugurate the Biju Patnaik Sports Complex and two newly constructed hostels in its premises on Monday.

As many as 30 platoons of police were deployed - a majority of them in the campus - since morning today to ensure that no incident like the one that happened during the Chief Minister's last visit to the Utkal University campus last year takes place this time.

Notably, youth and student Congress activists had managed to breach the CM's security to pelt stones and eggs at his cavalcade near the Keshari Talkies here while he was on his way to address a students' union function in the Utkal campus last year. More than a dozen Congress activists were arrested and section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) was pressed against them by the police making it difficult for them to get bail.

Not taking any chances this time, commissionerate police forced all road side vendors in the entire stretch of road from Naveen Nivas to the Utkal University campus to close for the day.

The sports complex inaugurated today has been set up by the Sports Council of Utkal University and the Department of Sports and Youth Services.