Security blanket over Puttaparthi for President's visit today

ANANTAPUR: Puttaparthi and its surroundings have been put under a security blanket over the visit of President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday for two hours as chief guest of the 42nd Annual Convocation of Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Puttaparthi.

Several other VIPs will be visiting the town as part of the ongoing 98th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Sri Satya Saibaba, which will conclude on Thursday.

President Murmu will arrive at the Satya Sai Airport in special aircraft at around 2:30 p.m. Around 2,000 police personnel, including five IPS officers, 15 ASPs and 40 DSPs from Rayalaseema region will be in Puttaparthi looking after the security of VIPs.

Satyasai district SP S.V. Madhava Reddy said a ban has been imposed on drone cameras over a two-km area over Puttaparthi and its surroundings for two days.

The President will be accommodated at the Srinivasam Guest House inside Mandir premises. Apart from being present at the convocation in Sai Hira Convention Hall, she will visit the Mahasamadhi of Sri Satya Saibaba.

Droupadi Murmu President will address the students and present gold medals to 21 students of various branches of the Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. After the convocation, she will leave for Delhi at around 4:30 p.m. from Satya Sai Airport.

AP Governor Abdul Nazeer will welcome the President on her arrival.

There will be traffic diversions on occasion of Droupadi Murmu’s visit. Vehicles coming from Bengaluru, Kothacheruvu and Gorantla towards Puttaparthi will be diverted at the Super Speciality Hospital through Brahmanapalle, Enumulapalle and Chitravathi Bypass. Similarly, vehicles from Nallamada and Bukkapatnam will be diverted through Karnataka Nagepalli Bridge, Sai Nagar and Chinnampalli ZP High School to reach Puttaparthi.

Collector Arun Babu, DIGs R.S. Ammi Reddy and Ravi Prakash and SP Madhava Reddy have reviewed the security arrangements along the route from airport to Prasanthi Nilayam and Convention Hall.

Madhava Reddy said tight security arrangements have been made at Ganesh Gate, West Gate, Santhi Bhavan, Sai Kulwant Hall and surrounding parts of Prasanthi Nilayam.