Security beefed up in Vizag for President’s Fleet Review

VISAKHAPATNAM: Security arrangements have been tightened here for the President’s Fleet Review (PFR) on Monday and the multinational naval exercise ‘Milan 2022’ from February 25 to March 4.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will all grace the occasion.

The district administration is expecting nearly four lakh people, including delegates from abroad, to watch the spectacle and the carnival-like city parade from Naval Coast Battery to Park Hotel Junction on RK Beach on February 27.

“We have deployed 4,000 personnel to prevent any untoward incident during these events,’’ a senior police officer said.

Talking to Deccan Chronicle, the officer added that the focus would be during the city parade, which is why the sandy area of the beach road is being barricaded, with adequate lighting, 40 LED screens and traffic management after the event.

Considering the city parade is the major event in Milan 2022, four IPS officers will monitor the police protection on February 27.

City police chief Manish Kumar Sinha has formed specific committees for each category. A control room will monitor and coordinate security.
There will be nine enclosures for the guests and 32 for the public at the RK Beach. The GVMC has set up 30 approach roads from Naval Coastal Battery to YMCA.

On the lines of the International Fleet Review, which the city hosted in 2016, there will be a three-tier security system during the PFR and Milan 2022. While the Navy will guard the waters, Coast Guard and coastal security police and Marcos will monitor the waters point to point to provide full-fledged security.

A PFR is usually conducted once during the tenure of every Indian president. The first was reviewed by Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad while the 2020 event at Andaman and Nicobar Islands had to be put-off due to coronavirus. Defence sources have been quoted as saying that the PFR is second only to the Republic Day Parade.

The then-president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam had reviewed the PFR in 2006 and had ventured into a submarine, the first by any President.

Milan, a biennial feature was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19 fear.