Tight security for Kalam's visit

Chennai, Feb 22 (UNI) Police have made tight security arrangements in the city, Coimbatore and Nilgiris in view of President A P J Abdul Kalam's two-day visit to Tamil Nadu beginning tomorrow.

Police sources said about 3,000 security personnel would be deployed in the city with similar number in Coimbatore and about 1,500 in Nilgiris.

Patrolling in coastal areas had been stepped up following the recent seizure of arms and explosives in the coastal districts of the state.

Though the President was not facing any specific threat, the police seened in no mood to leave anything to chance and launched a vehicle check this evening.

Senior police officials led by City Commissioner of Police Letika Saran visited the routes which the President would take tomorrow for attending various functions.

Similar exercise was carried out by senior police officials in Coimbatore and Nilgiris, reports said.

According to an official release, Dr Kalam would arrive here at 1635 hrs tomorrow and after a reception at the airport, he would motor down to the Madras Christian College in suburban Tambaram to attend the convocation function and inaugurate the International Conference on Signal Processing Communications Networking.

In the evening, Dr Kalam would deliver the annual convocation address at the Women's Christian College. After an overnight stay at Raj Bhavan, the President would leave for Coimbatore on February 24 and later by a helicopter to Wellington where, he would interact with student officers and faculty members of Defence Services Staff College.

Dr Kalam was also scheduled to inaugurate the second international conference on pharameutical sciences, technology and practice and interact with school children of Nilgiris District.

In the evening, the President would participate in the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Bharathiar Tamil University and confer ''Bharathiar Tamil Chemmal Award'' on Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

After interacting with school children and inaugurating the Golden Jubilee function of the South India Textile Research Association, the President, after an overnight stay at Coimbatore, would leave for Goa at 0840 hrs on February 25.

UNI