Security mock drill conducted ahead of PM’s visit

Bhubaneswar: The police on Friday conducted security mock drills in Bhubaneswar and Puri ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sunday visit to the State.

The Commissionerate police conducted drills in the city in which more than thirty vehicles took part. The drill began from the campus of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) on the outskirts of the city and culminated at the official residence of Governor.

Official sources said, members of the special protection group (SPG) conducted anti-terror drills to thwart any possible attack.

“The SPG team is here. We are working in close cooperation ensuring full-proof security measures for the VVIP. We are looking into both the components as the PM’s city tour involves journey both by road and air,” Police Commissioner YB Khurania said.

A similar exercise was also undertaken by the police in the temple town from Talabania helipad to the 12th century shrine where Modi is scheduled to stay for about an hour on Sunday.

“We are stressing on the road which will be taken by the Prime Minister during his Puri tour. All the encroachments on two sides of the road have been evicted on security grounds,” Enforcement officer Abhimanyu Sahu said.

As per the itinerary, Modi will arrive at the NISER helipad on Sunday and address the gathering. Then he will move to Puri to pay obeisance to the Trinity. In the afternoon he will dedicate IOCL’s Paradip refinery built at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore to the nation.