Bhubaneswar, August 3: President Droupadi Murmu will arrive in Odisha on Monday on a three-day visit, during which she will inaugurate Jagadguru Kripalu University in Cuttack and visit the Maa Kandhuni Devi Temple and Shiva Temple at Taptapani in Ganjam district.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Ganjam in accordance with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' Blue Book protocol. Around 40 platoons of police force and nearly 150 police officers have been deployed in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, while SP-rank officers have been assigned to supervise security at each venue. Commandos will accompany the President throughout her visit.
President Murmu is scheduled to arrive at Biju Patnaik International Airport at 2.20 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft. Her motorcade will leave for Lok Seva Bhawan at 2.30 pm, prompting traffic restrictions from 2.10 pm to 2.45 pm on the route from Airport Square via Hospital Square and AG Square to Lok Seva Bhawan.
Later in the afternoon, she will travel to Cuttack to inaugurate Jagadguru Kripalu University before returning to Bhubaneswar for an overnight stay at Lok Seva Bhawan.
On Tuesday morning, the President will board a special Presidential saloon train from Bhubaneswar Railway Station for Berhampur. The train, scheduled to depart at 9 am, will be escorted by two trains, one ahead and another behind, while no other train services will be allowed on the same track during its journey.
Both Bhubaneswar and Berhampur railway stations have been placed under high security, with bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs and intensive baggage screening in place. Around 15 platoons of police personnel, along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), will be deployed at Bhubaneswar Railway Station.
From Berhampur, President Murmu will travel by road to Taptapani to offer prayers at the Maa Kandhuni Devi Temple and the nearby Shiva Temple. Ganjam Collector V. Keerthi Vasan said Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi are also expected to accompany the President during the temple visit.
Following the visit, the President will stay overnight at the Army AD College in Golabandha. She will return to Bhubaneswar by train the next day and leave for New Delhi on a special Indian Air Force aircraft.
Ahead of the visit, Berhampur SP Dr Saravana Vivek M. and Ganjam SP Harish B.C. reviewed the security arrangements. The stretch between Berhampur and Taptapani has been declared a no-fly zone, and nearly 50 platoons of police personnel will be deployed along the route. The Presidential convoy will comprise 28 vehicles.
Authorities have also completed extensive road repair and beautification work from Berhampur Railway Station to Fast Gate Square. Potholes have been filled, drainage slabs have been covered, and the route has been upgraded to facilitate the smooth movement of the Presidential convoy.