Security beefed up for Pranab's visit

Patna: Security arrangements have been tightened for President Pranab Mukherjee’s two-day visit to Bihar on Friday and Saturday to address the maiden convocation of the Nalanda University at Rajgir in Nalanda district.
Several senior officials of the state police, Army, CISF and district administration are visiting Nalanda to inspect the helipad and to take stock of other preparations made for the visit.
DIG (central range) Shalin said, “We will certainly follow the blue book of security protocol of the President. Since he will spend night here, police personnel both in uniform and in civvies will be deployed at strategic locations. Quick reaction teams will be stationed around the airport, the governor house and at Rajgir. Anti-sabotage checking is also going on both in Patna and Nalanda.” He added that sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads will also remain on standby.
All the vehicles plying between Nalanda and Patna would have to undergo checking during the President’s stay in the state. “Policemen would be deployed in coordination with Army and CISF. Barricading would be done at a few places, while video recording would be done at major intersections of both Patna and Rajgir,” said the DIG.
He added vehicular traffic would be diverted on some roads at Rajgir. “Important landmarks such as Mahavir Mandir and Takhat Shri Harmandirji Saheb in Patna and other historically important sites in Nalanda will be under constant police vigil. So will be the bus stands, taxi stands, railway stations, airport and marketplaces,” he said.
“Patrolling across the state capital, highways and in Nalanda have been intensified to thwart any untoward incident. Multistoried buildings in and around the state capital have been put under surveillance. Hotels, both small and large, are also being checked for suspicious characters, including Maoists and terrorists, who may enter the city to cause trouble during the President’s visit. The entry points of the cities are under vigil,” added Shalin.