Bhubaneswar: A high-level state preparatory meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Friday to ensure flawless arrangements for the upcoming visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Rourkela on April 21.
The meeting reviewed all aspects of the visit and directed officials to maintain zero-error standards in preparations and monitoring.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg issued clear instructions to all departments and officers concerned to ensure seamless execution of every aspect of the President’s programme. She emphasised strict adherence to the schedule and proper coordination among departments.
Detailed Itinerary
According to the schedule presented in the meeting, the President will arrive at Jharsuguda Airport at 10:25 am on April 21. She will then proceed by helicopter to Rourkela Airport, reaching there at 11:10 am. She is scheduled to attend a public meeting at Sector-13 and inaugurate several public welfare projects. These include the Integrated Command Control Centre building, the Science Park and Planetarium, and the Promod Udyan at Koel Nagar.
After the public meeting, the President will visit the Tribal Museum and the Command Control Centre in Rourkela. She is expected to depart from Rourkela in the afternoon, returning via Jharsuguda Airport to New Delhi by 4:50 pm.
Security and Logistics
Sundargarh Collector Shubhankar Mohapatra briefed the meeting on local-level preparations. Both Rourkela and Jharsuguda Circuit Houses have been directed to be fully prepared for the visit. Given the high-profile nature of the visit, security arrangements will be tightened as per the standard operating procedure (SOP).
Extensive discussions were held on security measures starting from the airports to the public meeting venue and other programme sites.
Director General of Police Y B Khurania, along with senior police officers including the DIG of Western Range and SPs of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda, joined the meeting virtually to finalise security arrangements.
Facilities for Public Meeting
Since a large number of people are expected to attend the public meeting, officials have been directed to make adequate arrangements for drinking water, sufficient ORS packets, first-aid facilities, uninterrupted power supply, and proper ventilation at the venue.
Additional instructions were given regarding fire safety measures, barricading plans, road maintenance, sanitation, medical and health services, considering the prevailing summer heat, stage setup, pass management, and media coverage of the event.
Nodal Officer Appointed
Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Arindam Dakua, has been appointed as the Nodal Officer at the state level for overall coordination of the visit. A control room will also be set up by the Home Department to monitor all arrangements, similar to previous presidential visits.
Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretaries Hemant Sharma and Chitra Arumugam, senior secretaries from various departments, and other senior officials also attended the meeting.
