Srinagar fortified, sharp shooters deployed
Four tier security arrangements put in place in Samba
Srinagar: S K International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the bank of famous Dal Lake has been made out of bounds for any civilian movement and sharps shooters have been deployed to foil any militant attack during the one-day visit of Prime Minister NarendraModi to Srinagar today
Reports said that dozens of suspected persons have been taken into preventive custody during the past few days, official sources said adding they will be released after the PM visit is over.
The traffic department has already announced traffic plan to regulate traffic during the visit of PM.
Braving chilly weather conditions due to below normal temperature, hundreds of paramilitary forces and state police personnel, holding automatic weapons, remained deployed on all roads leading to SKICC.
The main busy road on the bank of Dal Lake at Badyarichowk has been closed with barbed wire and a large number of security forces have been deployed there. Only security force vehicles are being allowed to move. However, residents of localities on the bank of Dal Lake besides tourists are allowed to move from this chowk after their proper frisking and checking of vehicles and identity cards. The road from Nehru park to SKICC has been declared out of bounds for any civilian movement. The residents of Nishat, Shalimar, Harwan and other areas are being directed to take alternative route to reach their destinations.
In and around the SKICC large number of sharp shooters have taken positions to foil any attempt to cause disturbance during the PM visit. Security forces could also seen patrolling in Shikaras and water boats, keeping a close watch in the lake. Security forces, holding automatic weapons have also been deployed in the nearby hills to keep close watch with the help of binoculars.
Security forces continued intensified searches and frisking in different parts of the city, particularly in the civil lines, including historic LalChowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital.
Security forces have been conducting random search in the city. Meanwhile, checkpoints had been established by security forces at several places in the city and outskirts, checking passing vehicles, particularly two and three wheelers, and frisking travelers.
Meanwhile, police has deployed drones at some places in civil lines to keep a close watch on the movement of vehicles and people on roads.
Meanwhile, a four-tier security apparatus has been put in place for Prime Minister NarendraModi’s pubic rally in Samba.
“We have made all necessary security arrangements for the rally. We have put in place a four-tier security arrangement and roughly deployed 62 companies of forces along with 15 gazetted officers, apart from the territorial officers who are going to perform their own duties,” Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha told PTI.
“We have made four layers of the security to protect the area of the helipad and dias, public area and surrounding areas,” Sinha said.
Vigil has also been tightened along the border in view of the visit.
Apart from this, he said, railway stations and railway tracks have also been secured.
The IGP said eight companies have been deployed for night patrolling to keep a close watch. They are also equipped with night vision devices and search lights.
The prime minister during his day-long visit to Leh, Kashmir and Jammu will lay the foundation stones or inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,000 crore in Jammu and Rs 9,000 crore in Kashmir Valley.
Modi had last visited the state on May 19, 2018 to lay the foundation of Zojilla Tunnel project, which once completed will provide all weather road connectivity to frontier Ladakh region that at present remains cut off for four-to-five months in a year owing to heavy snowfall during winter.
On January 31, K Vijay Kumar and Skandan Krishnan, advisors to the Governor, visited the site of the rally and reviewed the arrangements.
Officials said over 100 bio-chemical toilets have been installed for general public and 10 for the use of VIPs.
After having detailed review, Advisor Kumar expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and called for close coordination among all the agencies involved in the smooth conduct of the visit.
BJP state president RavinderRaina said the prime minister will be accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival to Jammu.
“The AIIMS ground will witness a grand public rally which will be attended by around two lakh people from all walks of life. The rally will be historic and the BJP is all set for the mega rally,” he said. (with PTI inputs)
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