High security ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit in Kochi

KOCHI: Kochi city and its surrounding regions have been placed under maximum security cover in view of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the inauguration of the Kochi Metro. The security arrangements have been implemented based on the directives of the senior officials of the Special Protection Group. Three senior officials of SPG Aneesh Sirohi, Rajesh Kumar and TK Gautam visited the places in the itinerary of the PM and the routes to be taken by him. The city police has also imposed traffic regulations in view of the visit of the PM. According to the police, traffic along the Naval Base––Thevara – Kundannur Junction – Pallimukku – Jose Junction - High Court Junction – Kaloor – Palarivattom route will be restricted during the day on Saturday.

Parking of vehicles will not be permitted along the stretch after 5 pm on Friday and street vendors have been barred from plying their business. Pedestrians will not be permitted along the route during the VVIP movement. The police also requested the public to stay out of the route of the PM’s cavalcade. A battery of police personnel comprising 18 superintendents, 40 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 50 Circle Inspectors, 350 sub inspectors, in addition to 1,500 policemen including 109 women officers have been deployed at selected points to ensure multi-layer security. A special batch of 160 specially trained commandos has been positioned at different locations while the Coastal police, in four boats, have taken over the security on the coastal side.

360 women cadet-trainees and 185 sub-inspector trainees will also be deployed for security duties. Further, about 150 policemen will be deployed at different points in the city. Tight patrolling of vehicles has already begun and surveillance has been increased on the high-rises along the route. Senior police officers led by DGP Senkumar are monitoring the situation. The IAF Special aircraft carrying Modi is scheduled to land at ING Garuda around 10.15 am and from there, the PM Modi will proceed to the Palarivattom metro station by road to inaugurate the Metro rail project.

After inaugurating the metro, the PM will take a ride on a metro train up to Pathadippalam and back to Palarivattom. He is slated to dedicate the metro rail project to the public at a function to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at 11 am. At 12.15 noon, the PM will inaugurate the PN Panicker memorial Reading Month celebrations at the St.Theresa’s College. After returning to the Naval Air station at 1.05 pm the PM will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues before leaving for Delhi at 1.25 p.m.