Bhubaneswar:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here late this evening on a two-day tour of Odisha during which he will dedicate IOCL’s oil refinery at Paradip to the nation and inaugurate the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) near Bhubaneswar.
Modi was received at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here by Odisha Governor S C Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan.
Besides two inauguration programmes, the Prime Minister will visit the 12th Century Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri, state Home Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy said.
This will be Modi’s first visit to Puri temple and second visit to the state after becoming the Prime Minister.
The PM would stay at the Raj Bhavan tonight and inaugurate the NISER at Jatni on the outskirts of the state capital at 9 AM tomorrow.
He is scheduled to interact with students and faculty members of NISER and will leave for Puri to pay his obeisance to Lord Jagannath at 11 AM.
“Will offer prayers at the Jagannath Temple in Puri during my Odisha visit on the 7th,” Modi had tweeted.
Later, the Prime Minister will leave for Paradip to inaugurate IOCL’s Rs 35,000 crore refinery at 1 PM and will address a public meeting there.
DGP K B Singh reviewed security arrangements at Paradip, while other senior officers are camping at Puri and NISER to ensure security of the Prime Minister.
“All arrangements are made as per the rule book,” Singh said, adding about one lakh people are expected at Paradip.
For the PM’s visit, the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration has decided to keep the temple doors closed for one hour.
The Archaeological Survey of India, which is repairing the temple complex, will suspend work to facilitate entry of Modi into the sanctum sanctorum.
