PM visit: Security at airport reviewed

Even as the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) authorities here received a threat call to blow up the airport, a high-level meeting was held on Thursday to take stock the of the security arrangements at the airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to land here on Saturday before leaving for Cuttack to address a public gathering at the Baliyatra ground there.

BPIA Director Suresh Chandra Hota, top officials of Special Protection Group (SPG), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and DGP RP Sharma discussed the security arrangements ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on the day carried out a mock landing drill at a makeshift helipad constructed near Naraj, where the PM’s helicopter is scheduled to land.

All security arrangements in Cuttack have been reviewed under the supervision of IG-rank officials of the SPG.  Earlier on Wednesday, a seven-member team of the SPG, including two AIG-rank officials, reviewed security arrangements at the Baliyatra ground.

As per sources, 100 platoons of police force, 80 in Cuttack and 20 in Bhubaneswar will be deployed as part of the security arrangements. A carcade rehearsal will also be conducted on Friday.

Nearly 100 platoons of police force will be on duty at various places of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar for the Prime Minister’s visit to Cuttack. Police deployments will be made at the Bhubaneswar airport and at the temporary helipads at Cuttack along with at the Baliyatra ground, where Modi will address the public in the evening, said a senior officer of the Commissionerate police here on Thursday.

On the advice of the SPG, two temporary helipads have come up in the city, one at Naraj, which is eight km from the meeting venue, and the other at the Mahanadi islet, which is about 500 meter from the venue. Air Force helicopters made mock drills at both the helipads on Thursday.

But it could not be immediately ascertained as to which helipad will be used on Saturday, Sources said both could be use, one for the landing and the other for the takeoff after the PM’s public address. Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a battery of BJP State leaders on the day visited the Baliyatra ground to oversee the arrangements for the Prime Minister’s programme.

Four massive stands, each having a seating capacity of ten thousand, have come up at the Baliyara ground facing two huge stages. BJP leaders said the main stage would be for the Prime Minister’s speech and the other one would hold cultural programmes to be performed before the arrival of the PM.