In view of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections there would be frequent visit of VVIPs to the State for campaigning, who are Special Protection Group (SPG) and National Security Guards (NSG) protectees. This would require adequate and foolproof security arrangements by the State police, said DGP Dr RP Sharma.
Presiding over a meeting on Monday in which SPG and Intelligence Bureau officials were present, Sharma in a video-conference with Range IGs, DIGS, DCPs and district SPS directed to make effective and unobtrusive security arrangements for the VVIPs.
Earlier, senior officers from the IB and the SPG apprised the officers through power point presentation about the possibilities of multi-faceted security threats to the VVIPs during election campaign.
The IB and SPG experts suggested several precautionary and preparatory measures during the visit of VVIPs and other dignitaries like there should be different types of security arrangement for different categories of dignitaries, the security arrangement for the Prime Minister should be done as prescribed in the Blue Book.
Besides, they advised the SPs to liaison with the local organisers during public meeting or road shows, select the meeting venue keeping the security angles in view, take adequate steps for effective crowd control, parking place should be selected at a safe distance from the meeting place, adequate lighting arrangements, allowing limited people on the dais during VVIP programme and taking steps for preventing fire hazards and manmade accidents.
IB Special Director Ashok Verma, IB Director, SPG IG YK Jethwa and senior officers of Odisha police were among others present.