City turns fortress to host French guest

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23

A day ahead of the visit of French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chandigarh, the city literally turned into a fortress with heavy police deployment.

As part of the security arrangements in view of the threat perception, over 6,000 police personnel have been deployed in city.

Besides 4,000 Chandigarh Police personnel on guard, police from 12 companies, including the ITBP, BSF and the CRPF, have been roped in.

ITBP men have been deployed at a distance of 100 metres between them on dividers on the entire route to be taken by the cavalcade tomorrow.

A senior UT police official said besides the UT police, 12 companies -- 10 of paramilitary forces and two of the Himachal Pradesh Police -- had been deputed.

Around 70 policemen had been deputed in each company.

Even though the police claimed that they would not block any specific route when the convoy passes through the city, commuters have been advised to avoid the routes to be taken by the the cavalcade tomorrow.

The police said they had made two alternative routes, but most probably, the preferred route would be from the Airport light point to the Tribune roundabout, Transport light point, grain market chowk, Golf Club road, Sector 4 petrol pump and then to Taj Hotel, Sector 17.

A senior police official said since the VVIPs would start arriving at 1 pm and the last departure was at 6.30 pm, during these five hours, commuters were advised to stay indoors.