AGARTALA, November 29 (TIWN): Two groups of Special Protection Group (SPG) officers have already reached Agartala to overview the security arrangement ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to inaugurate the commercial generation II unit of OTPC at Palatana of Gomati district. The Special Protection Group (SPG) team went to Palatana to overview the security arrangements.

The SPG team will be staying in the state till December 1st. Prime Minister Narenda Modi will arrive in the State capital on December 1 for a few hours by a helicopter and will inaugurate the commercial generation of II – unit of OTPC and address a public rally at Palatana.  At present one group of Special Protection Group (SPG) officers are already placed in Agartala Airport and the other Special Protection Group (SPG) is in Palatana to overview the security arrangements, said a highly placed source of police.

The Tripura government has also made unprecedented security arrangements in all urban areas including the state capital to ensure peaceful arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. The state police had started standard precautionary measures in urban and rural areas. “We have started checking and frisking vehicles in the urban areas.  Security has been tightened at the Agartala airport, railway stations, ports, bus stands and other crowded places, the official added. Foot patrols and mobile patrols were increased in the rural areas; focus was laid on distant villages”, the official added.

Dog squads and bomb squads were pressed into action as well. Sniffers were seen checking around the railway station and major public places of the city on the day. A standard alert was sounded across all police stations of the state, the official informed.

All police stations in Tripura were put on maximum alert and BSF was alerted so that no insurgent could cross the 856 km-long Indo-Bangla international border in Tripura from their hideout in Bangladesh.

The police have installed drop grates at all significant roads to prevent entry of vehicles in crowded areas during peak hours. According to the police strict watch is being kept over the activities of anti-social elements and preventive actions are being taken. Counter insurgency operations in vulnerable areas of the state were stepped up by district police authorities, TSR, Assam Rifles and BSF through deployment of additional forces, said Police official.