Security beefed up for defence installations in Odisha

The developments on the Indo-Pak front has prompted Odisha government to order senior police officials in the districts to beef up security in and around vital establishments and installations, particularly defence related ones.

The direction came after a high-level review meeting held here which was chaired by chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi. A number of senior state home department officials and police top brass including director general of state police, R P Sharma attended the important meeting which was convened following a directive from the union ministry of home affairs.

Odisha is home to at least five important defence installations including the two premier missile testing centres at Chandipur in Balasore district and Dr A P J Abdul Kalam island which was previously known as Wheelers Island in neighbouring Bhadrak district.

The other three are – the training centre of the Indian Navy in Chilika lake, an ordnance factory at Saintala in western Odisha Balangir district and an airbase of the Indian Air Force at Choudwar in coastal Cuttack district. Security has been strengthened in all these five installations.

According to DG Sharma, the patrolling on the state’s 480 km long coastline have also been enhanced. “The police in the districts have been instructed to strengthen the intelligence gathering mechanism besides keeping a close watch on suspicious characters and strangers”, the top cop said.