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Gita Press decks up to greet PM on July 7

PM Narendra Modi will visit the iconic Gita Press on July 7 for the concluding ceremony of its centenary celebrations. Maximum security measures have been put in place for the high-profile visit.

Updated on: Jul 5, 2023, 20:18:30 IST
By , GORAKHPUR
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The iconic Gita Press is decked up to welcome the first prime ministerial visit on July 7. Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the largest publication center of religious literature in the country.

For representation only (HT File Photo)
For representation only (HT File Photo)

Then President of India, Ramnath Kovind, had inaugurated the centenary celebrations on June 4, 2022, which will end with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on July 7. Gita Press has been chosen as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize award (2021) by the ministry of culture.

Manager of Gita Press Lalmani Tiwari confirmed that before President Kovind, Dr Rajender Parsad, the first President of India, had visited Gita Press in 1955 and had inaugurated the Lila Chitrawali building and entrance gate.

Tiwari said that the trustees of Gita Press in coordination with the special protection group (SPG) and district authorities had completed preparations for the high-profile visit. The PM’s Gita Press stay will be of 45 minutes.

Established in 1922 in a rented room by Jaydal Goenka and Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Gita Press is the largest publication centre of religious literature in the country.

SPG takes over venues

Twenty-four hours ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit on July 7, security forces took positions and carried out an intensive surveillance of the PM’s route from Gorakhpur airport to Gita Press and from Gita Press to Gorakhpur Railway station, a total of 14 km.

On Wednesday, chief secretary, Durga Shankar Mishra, reviewed preparations for the programme and gave important tips. ADG Akhil Kumar and IG Zone J Ravindra Gour shared detailed security arrangements with him.

SPG officials also held a meeting with district authorities on Wednesday and charted out force deployment plans at strategic points. Officials said eight IPS officers and 3,000 police personnel will be deployed for security along with 36 sub divisional magistrates and jawans of paramilitary forces. They are expecting a 105-minute stay of the Prime Minister in the city.

SPG personnel conducted rehearsal to pass the fleet of the PM on Wednesday. SP city Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said details of travellers staying in hotels had been checked and traffic movement on the chosen route for PM Modi would strictly be prohibited.