With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to visit the city on Saturday, the police have made elaborate arrangements to regulate vehicle movement along Mr. Modi’s route.
According to the Kochi city police, traffic along the Naval Base-Thevara-Kundannur Junction-Pallimukku-Jos Junction-High Court Junction-Kaloor-Palarivattom route will be regulated during the day. No parking of vehicles will be permitted along the stretch after 5 a.m., and street vendors have been barred from doing business.
Similarly, pedestrians will not be permitted along the route during the VIP movement. The public have been requested to keep out of the route through which the Prime Minister’s cavalcade passes.
They will have to take pocket roads instead.
The police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. A battery of police personnel, comprising 18 Superintendents, 40 Assistant Commissioners, 50 Circle Inspectors, 350 Sub-Inspectors, in addition to 1,500 policemen, including 109 women officers, has been deployed at selected points to ensure multi-layer security.
Besides, 360 women cadet trainees and 185 Sub-Inspector trainees will be deployed for security duties. Further, around 150 policemen will be deployed at various points in the city. A batch of nearly 160 specially trained commandos has been positioned at various locations, while the Coastal Police, in four boats, have taken over security on the coastal side.
The entire metro route, including stations, will be under the control of the police.
Tight patrolling has already begun, and surveillance has been stepped up on high-rises along the route.
Senior police officers led by State Police Chief T.P. Senkumar are constantly monitoring the situation.
A special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft carrying the Prime Minister will touch down at INS Garuda at 10.15 a.m. and from there, Mr. Modi will proceed to the Palarivattom metro station by road, where he will cut a ribbon at 10.35 a.m. and take the inaugural ride on a metro train up to Pathadippalam and back.
He is slated to dedicate the Kochi Metro Rail project to the nation at a function to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at 11 a.m.
Reading month
At 12.15 noon, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the P.N. Panicker Memorial Reading Month celebrations at St.Teresa’s college.
After returning to the Naval air station at 1.05 p.m, Mr. Modi will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others at the board room there.
