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Heavy security posted around campus, but traffic will be hassle-free, say police
Like the last time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opted to fly in and out of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) on Monday.
The Prime Minister is expected to arrive at the city airport at 9.10 a.m. From the airport, he will take a helicopter to the IIT-M campus. At 9.45 am, he will address the Singapore India Hackathon 2019 at the IIT-M Research Park. He will deliver the 56th Convocation address at the institutes’s Students Activity Centre at 11 a.m.
Since he will be arriving and leaving the campus by a helicopter, there will be no traffic snarls on roads, say police. He is expected to leave the city by 1.15 p.m.
“We can assure that there will be no traffic congestion around IIT-Madras or on GST Road as he is travelling by a chopper. Besides, all the VIPs have been asked to arrive by 8 a.m. and entry will be restricted after 8.30 a.m. So before the peak-hour, all the VIPs will be inside the campus,” said a senior police officer.
Traffic police will also be deployed inside the IIT-M campus. “The helipad will be in the cricket ground and he has to travel 3 km by road inside the campus to reach the first venue. From there, another 1.3 km to the second venue. So we have our men managing traffic inside,” said another officer.
CCTV cameras
More than 1,000 policemen have been deployed inside and outside the campus in connection with Mr Modi’s visit. “Our men are patrolling the campus and the commandos are combing the forest area. We have installed over 50 CCTV cameras apart from the existing ones in the premises,” said a senior police officer.
As a precaution, the police have also deployed over 600 traffic police personnel from the airport to IIT-Madras to manage the situation in case the PM’s convoy has to take the road for some reason. “This is highly unlikely,” added the officer.
This is the second time the Prime Minister has chosen to use helicopter, and not take the road, to reach the IIT-M. In April 2018, he opted for the aerial route as a few opposition parties and Tamil outfits planned to show black flags to protest against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board despite the Supreme Court order. Some protesters even released black balloons when he arrived.
Though there has been no announcement of any kind of protests this time, the Prime Minister has chosen to use the chopper.
