Bhubaneswar: In anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sambalpur on February 3, the Odisha government has imposed a ban on the use of drones at venues where the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend. PM Modi is set to inaugurate the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur and lay the foundation stones for various projects during his one-day visit. The ban on drones is part of the heightened security measures in place for the high-profile event.
PM Modi’s visit includes the inauguration ceremony at IIM-Sambalpur, expected to be attended by around 4,000 people, including students, staff, and teachers. The Prime Minister will arrive at the institute at 2.15 pm on February 3 via a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Jharsuguda airport.
Security concerns have prompted the ban on drone cameras, with the Special Protection Group (SPG) expressing reservations after a perceived security threat during the PM’s visit to Bahanaga in Balasore last year, where drones were used to capture the event.
Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena chaired a high-level meeting to review security arrangements, ensuring the smooth conduct of the Prime Minister’s events in Sambalpur. Director General of Police (DGP) Arun Kumar Sarangi affirmed that while they are yet to receive the detailed program, preliminary security measures are being put in place for the visit.
Apart from inaugurating the IIM-Sambalpur campus, PM Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Sambalpur railway station, a project valued at Rs 348 crore. Other significant projects on the agenda include the dedication of the Talcher-Sambalpur doubling project (168.2 km), the Jhartarbha-Sonepur new line (21.7 km) of the Khurda-Balangir project, and the flagging off of the new Puri-Sonepur-Puri weekly Express via Talcher.
The visit holds political significance as the western Odisha region is a stronghold of the BJP. With five out of eight Lok Sabha members from the BJP representing this region, the visit is expected to boost the party’s prospects, especially for Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who may contest from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency.
In addition to the Sambalpur events, PM Modi will inaugurate several projects and lay the foundation stones for new ones in Jharsuguda. These projects include power initiatives totaling nearly Rs 29,000 crore, such as the NTPC Talcher-III Thermal Power Project, the Darlipali Super Thermal Power Project, and the first phase of Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s Talabira Thermal Power Project. The visit also encompasses railway and connectivity projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure in the region.
