Cops on toes for PM’s visit

• City Police Commissioner holds special briefing parade
• Entire manpower to be deployed for security control

Mysore/Mysuru: It will be a testing time for the Mysuru City Police as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting to lead the mass Yoga demonstration from the Mysore Palace on June 21, the International Day of Yoga. The city will be on high alert from the morning of June 20 till the PM reaches New Delhi on June 21 post event.

Though things have not been made public about the route the PM will take from his place of stay as the final call will be taken by the Special Protection Group (SPG) that guards the PM, the Police have started making arrangements for beefing up security across the city.

This morning, City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta held a special briefing parade at CAR (City Armed Reserve) Grounds where he said that the entire city Police machinery will be utilised for security and traffic management.

Over 750 Policemen from all the wings of the City Police and their senior and junior officers had assembled at 7 am for the briefing that lasted one-and-a-half hours. All wings of the Police — Traffic, Civil, Mounted Police, Dog Squad, Fingerprint Unit and State Intelligence — were part of the briefing.

Senior officers DCP (Law and Order) Pradeep Gunti, DCP (Crime and Traffic) M.S. Geetha Prasanna, CAR DCP Shivaraj, Mounted Police Commandant Nagaraj, Traffic ACP N.S. Gangadharaswamy, Krishnaraja ACP Poornachandra Tejaswi, Narasimharaja ACP M. Shivakumar and Devaraja ACP M.N. Shashidhar were present.

Among the key points covered by Dr. Chandragupta, the prominent were road safety, route security, security around the PM’s cavalcade route, vigil on nearby areas and high-rise buildings,  clearing of obstacles in coordination with Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation, Mysuru City Corporation and Mysuru Urban Development Authority, pruning of tree branches, clearing petty shops all along the PM’s route and also ensure a pothole-free road.

He asked the Cops to be on high alert and identify troublesome individuals at the Police Station level. He asked them not to apply for leave on June 20 and June 21 unless it is an emergency. The senior officers were asked to prepare a plan for the routes from Hotel Radisson Blu Plaza where the PM will stay to the Mysore Palace, entry and exits and also emergency exits. 

Once the senior officers submit the plan, the same will be sent to the SPG for approval. “We have to tighten the security across the city and also make traffic arrangements for their smooth passage through the city. Managing traffic will be cumbersome and traffic regulations will have to be put in place for the VVIP visit,” he told the Policemen.