High alert around all major installations
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 23: Tight security arrangements have been made in Jammu and Samba districts besides other parts of the Union Territory ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Palli Gram Panchayat in Samba district tomorrow.
Security arrangements were further reviewed by top security officials following yesterday’s fidayeen attack at Sunjuwan on outskirts of the City in which two militants were killed and a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer was martyred besides 10 other security personnel were injured.
Though the Prime Minister will fly to Palli Panchayat after landing at Technical Airport in Jammu following arrival from New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir Police with the help of paramilitary forces have made tight security arrangements along Jammu-Pathankot National Highway with certain traffic restrictions also in place.
Three helipads have been constructed at Palli for landing of the Prime Minister and other VVIPs.
The Special Protection Group (SPG) has taken over venue where the Prime Minister will address nearly one lakh people including 30,000 representatives of three-tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of Jammu and Kashmir. He will also address Panchayats across the country virtually.
All security forces are maintaining high alert on their installations to ensure that the militants don’t manage to commit any terror attack ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. Security around vital installations has been stepped up.
“A thick security blanket has been thrown across Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of Modi’s visit to Palli Panchayat in Samba district,” officials said.
A red alert has been sounded in the Union Territory following the encounter near Sunjuwan army camp on the outskirts of the city which averted a major attack with the gunning down of both the militants armed with suicide vests and large quantity of arms and ammunition.
Palli Panchayat, 17 kms from Jammu city, was virtually sealed with local police and paramilitary personnel including Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed in strength to keep a strict vigil, the officials said.
They said the venue, which is just three kilometres from the Jammu-Pathankot highway, has been made out of bounds for the general public as part of the security arrangements for the Prime Minister’s public rally – his first after the abrogation of special status to J&K under Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile State in August 2019.
Arrangements for over one lakh people including over 30,000 Panchayat members have been made at the venue of the public meeting, the officials said.
On Saturday, the joint security parties were seen patrolling the entire stretch from Bari Brahmana along the highway to Palli Chowk which was also decorated with large hoarding to welcome the Prime Minister and also announce various projects and industrial investments to be inaugurated by him.
Additional joint security check points with reinforcements have come up at various places leading to the venue of the function besides other places including district headquarters and vital installations to scuttle any attempt by the terrorists to carry out any attack, the officials said.
The commuters on highways and peripheral roads are also being thoroughly checked and frisked, the officials said, adding the border security grid and highway grid have also been strengthened in the wake of Friday’s encounter in Jammu city.
In additional to the multi-tier security arrangements, the officials said some high-end surveillance equipment have been inducted into security setup to ensure fool proof security.
Traffic Police Jammu has already issued an advisory in connection with the prime minister’s visit, announcing certain restrictions and route plans for the public to reach the venue.
Heavy load carriers including wheat cutting machines and load carriers were asked not to ply on April 24 on the national highway (Jammu-Pathankot) as well as ring roads and adjoining areas of the venue, the advisory said.
The Traffic Police also declared ‘no parking zones’ a certain stretch of the highway near Bari Brahmana and Palli to Ratnal Chowk.
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