IMPHAL, November 30: The entire Imphal city has been blanketed under tight security cover, keeping in view of the Prime Minister’s visit to the state capital on December 3.
As the beautification process of the city and other arrangements regarding the high profile visit is almost complete, the state is laying more emphasis on the security arrangement which has been only tightened with the arrival of the full strength of SPG team numbering 50 including five assistant Inspector Generals, according to a reliable source.
The SPG team will be divided into five team of 10 personnel each headed by one assistant inspector General and start its full monitoring of all venues from tomorrow, the source added.
The source has further informed that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in presence of UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi and other Union ministers will inaugurate the City Convention Centre and the auditorium of MFDC at Palace Gate, two components of the Capitol Project including High Court complex and Assembly hall at CHingmeirong, ISBT terminus at Khuman Lampak. The Prime Minister will further unveiled the foundation stone of the NIT, Lamphel using a switch mode at Kangla where he will be addressing a public meeting. UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi will also addressed the public during the meeting, the source informed.
The team from the centre led by the Prime Minister will also include UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi; Union minister of commerce and industry & IT and HRD, Kapil Sibal; MOS incharge of law & justice and minority, Salman Khurseed; DoNER minister Pawan Ghatowar. The chief justice of the Supreme Court of India SH Kapadia is also likely to accompany the PM’s team, the source informed.
Meanwhile, the source has also added that the DoNER minister will arrive in the state two days ahead of the PM’s visit and arrive in the state on December 1 at 1:30pm and monitor the overall state preparation before the PM and his team’s arrival on December 3. He will further meet the state Governor Gurbachan Jagat at raj Bhavan, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh at his official bungalow soon after his arrival in the state capital, the source added.
In the evening of the same day, the Union minister will chair a review meeting with the chief secretary and other state officials at the chief secretary’s official chamber, the source informed.
Meanwhile, considering the possible boycott of the PM’s visit and to prevent any forms of disturbances during the visit, the state police have imposed a high security protection around the city.
The police department has collected a total of more than 1450 state police personnel including commando units from all nine districts and concentrated them all in the city. Six companies of the Assam Rifles, four companies of BSF and ten companies of the CRPF have also been deployed at various locations of the Greater Imphal area since today, the source informed.
The SPG team will conduct a security rehearsal jointly with a selected team of state forces and other central forces along the proposed route of the VVIP, the source informed.
