Three-tier security for PM Modi's visit to TN's Ramanathapuram

Chennai, Jan 20 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Police have put in place a three-tier security in Ramanathapuram district in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on Saturday.

During his two-day visit, Modi will go for a darshan at the Rameswaram temple and also participate in various other programmes in the district.

Police sources told IANS that the three-tier security has been provided at the mutt where the Prime Minister will be residing, and in and around the Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy temple.

The temple will be closed for the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

High security is in place at Dhanushkodi and its surrounding areas and following alerts from central agencies, coast guard teams have also deployed for patrolling the sea.

The Sri Lankan Tamils' rehabilitation camp in Mandapam is also being guarded and heavy security is in place here.

A bomb disposal squad along with the dog squad have been conducting intensive searches in Rameswaram and other areas of the coastal district.

More than 3,400 policemen have been deputed, and drills and inspections were carried out.

The Ramanathapuram District Collector, Vishnu Chandran has also issued an order about traffic arrangements and temple darshan and declared Rameswaram a drone-free zone for both days.

According to order of the district collector, traffic from Ramanathapuram to Rameswaram, and in Rameswaram Nagar area is prohibited from 12 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

The district collector has also banned any public transport services in Rameswaram from 6 a.m. to 12 noon on Sunday.

Heavy vehicles have been prohibited from entering Rameswaram Nagar on Saturday and Sunday.

Traffic is prohibited from on Dhanushkodi road from Rameswaram from 12 noon on Saturday to 12 p.m. on Sunday.

There are reports of the banned TLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) trying to garner ground in Tamil Nadu and Ramanathapuram being a coastal district, the central and state intelligence have given inputs to increase the security of the Prime Minister as well as to conduct through checks.