A day ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee’s Uttarakhand visit, a dress rehearsal involving policemen was held on Tuesday. The President would come to Jolly Grant airport from where he is slated to fly to Kedarnath to have ‘darshan’ of the sacred shrine.
It has been learnt that the President is expected to reach Jolly Grant Airport around 9 am on Wednesday from where he would depart for Kedarnath Dham.
The President would reach the shrine around 10 am.
After having ‘darshan’ of the shrine, he would return to Dehradun around 11 am. The President would reach GTC helipad at 12 pm from where he would go to Raj Bhawan. At 4.30 pm he would go to Jolly Grant by helicopter from GTC helipad from where he would depart for Delhi.
The full dress rehearsal was held in two phases (scheduled arrival and departure time of the President) between 8 am and 10 am and 2 pm and 5 pm at Jolly Grant Airport and GTC Helipad, Raj Bhawan on Tuesday.
A contingency plan has also been made ready. In case of inclement weather, the President may not go to Kedarnath Dham. Then he would reach Raj Bhawan straight from Jolly Grant. The President would then take rest at Raj Bhawan.
SSP Dr Sadanand Date said that adequate police forces have been deputed for security arrangements at the venues and strategic locations across the city.
In order to strengthen the security, four SPs, six assistant/additional SPs, seven circle officers, eight police station in-charge or inspectors/sub-inspectors, 65 sub-inspectors, six women sub-inspectors, 46 sub-inspectors/head constables, three women head constables, 355 constables, five women constables, four companies and two sections of PAC and three fire units have been deputed for VVIP’s duty.
Date said that the policemen who are deputed on VVIP duty have been directed to reach their venue of their duty in time and they should inspect surroundings of the assigned areas properly to stave off any security threat.
They need to inform senior officers if they find any suspicious person or object under their jurisdictional areas. Stringent action would be taken against policemen who are found negligent on their assigned duty, the senior cop warned.