Tight security in Mangalore ahead of Sonia Gandhi's visit

Mangalore, October 17: All preparations and security arrangements have been made as Sonia Gandhi, AICC President, is scheduled to visit the city on Thursday.

Security being of prime concern, the district administration along with the police department and SPG forces has already carried out inspections of the site of the programme. Already several rounds of meetings have been conducted wherein senior police officers have directed police personnel to see to it that there are no lapses in security arrangements. Gopal Hosur, IGP, Intelligence, has also carried out an inspection. Police personnel from CRP, RAF, besides others will be part of the security arrangements.

This being Ms. Gandhi's third visit to Mangalore, leaders and activists of the district Congress unit have been busy making arrangements for the programme.

Hoardings welcoming Ms. Gandhi have already been put up along the streets of Mangalore. A huge stage has been set up at Nehru Maidan, where Ms. Gandhi is expected to address about 20,000 Congress activists from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Union Ministers M Veerappa Moily, SM Krishna and K H Muniyappa, Siddharamaiah, Leader of Opposition, Legislative Assembly, Dr. G Parameshwar, President, KPCC, Former Ministers Oscar Fernandes and B Janardana Poojary, besides senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Madhusoodan Mistri are also expected to take part in the programme.

Ms. Gandhi will land at Mangalore International Airport at Bajpe  at 4 pm and come to Mangalore  via road and take part in the programme at 4.30 pm at Nehru Maidan.

A committee has been created for the supervision of the programme consisting of Kallige Taranath Shetty, Ivan D'Souza, PV Mohan, Mithun Rai, Shashidhar Hegde, and Oscar Fernandes.

B Ramanath Rai, District Congress President, said that rooms in lodges have been booked for the senior leaders scheduled to participate in the event. Seva Dal activists along with 500 other volunteers will take care of the needs of the people participating in the programme. The programme will be a huge success, Mr. Rai said, expressing confidence.

Already 15,000 chairs have been arranged and 500 volunteers have been appointed to take care of the needs of the participants of the programme. Arrangements for drinking water, ambulance and fire services are also in place. Parking facilities for activists who will flock the venue in their vehicles have been made in Milagers, Rosario, St Anns and Taluk Panchayat premises, informed Ivan D'Souza.