THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 16: Jharkhand Police proved its mettle in arranging PM Modi’s journey from Ranchi to Jamshedpur by road, sources said.
From the constabulary to the higher ranks, everyone remained on the live wire for safe and secured journey of the PM by road.
Jharkhand police was given ‘just 15 minutes’ to speak up if it can arrange PM and his entourage’s journey to Jamshedpur by road on September 15 said sources.
A senior official of the PM entourage on the phone asked a senior officer in Jharkhand police to ensure it, said sources.
A flawless execution amid challenges
It was raining heavily. Weather was too inclement. Visibility could have been a question there.
And big of all the road (read NH) distance between Ranchi airport to Gopal Maidan in Tata that comes to little over 128 kms was no small a distance for a VVIP to undertake.
This element of abruptness asking for road journey of the PM in 15 minutes could have thrown the state police in a tizzy and panic situation but on the contrary the Jharkhand police not only acted swift with clinical precision backed by meticulous and flawless arrangement, it wrote a history of most safe and secured journey of the PM of the largest democratic country India.
Remember an identical situation coming up in the state of Punjab in the near past where the Punjab police faltered only to get a mountain of flak for it during the PM’s visit there in Punjab.
Jharkhand police knew it has to act and in time. It knew it can’t afford a la Punjab scene where the PM’s car and his carcade had to face gathering of people in the street.
It was raining then in Punjab. It was also raining in Jharkhand on September 15. But the rains didn’t dampen any cop’s spirit at all.
The Jharkhand police proved it was all prepared and in full gears and also in command of the situation. Never for a moment it showed any nervousness said sources.
Things were too odd to the Jharkhand police to take PM by road. A little over 2 hours and thirty minutes journey. Too many cuts on the NH between Ranchi airport to Gopal Maidan in Tata. Bikers and scooterists all along. Lorries and tankers. How to come over it.
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Leadership and coordination
Sources said the DGP Jharkhand Anurag Gupta knew his team would do. And he proved no wrong.
Sources said the Jharkhand police knew the state police can’t afford to seek more time than 15 minutes to start with as the PM entourage would have never agreed to it as the PM had already spent one hour in the lounge at the Birsa Munda airport in Ranchi.
DGP Anurag Gupta pressed in his officers to do this and they didn’t let down their chief said sources.
It was a great challenge which everyone in the Jharkhand police set up took it as his own task to be achieved by all means.
The Prime Minister went to Tata by road. He came by road. Never in the travel history of the VVIP such a situation has ever happened as it took place in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand police realised it’s time to act. No more query. Just get doing. Civil and police officials endeavoured hard.
Security measures and planning
6 companies of the Central Armed Police Force were pressed into the job of security of the VVIP. Area domination was stepped up. Road opening planning was already put in place. Anti naxal operation was intensified read a press note of state police.
“The NH between Ranchi airport to Tata was segmented and at every 5 km stretch there were senior police officers of the rank from ADG to DIG to SSP to SP were made to oversee the safety and security aspects” said sources.
Sources told this correspondent “Whenever there is a VVIP programme the police invariably draws up an alternative plan. Here too the DGP Jharkhand Anurag Gupta and team had drawn up an alternative plan.”
Sources agreed the alternative plan remains a skeleton type, better say a symbolic one. But on September 15 the alternative plan of the Jharkhand police became the cynosure of all.
Sources said “Normally where a VVIP goes by road, flies back in return. But here going and coming were both by road. By Jove, by the same NH. The only difference was of the lane.”
“Extremely bad weather, element of abruptness or suddenness and the longest journey on car wheels – were there before the Jharkhand police but state police officers and cops proved their mettle. They allowed themselves to wet to their bones but they never showed any latches or laxity.” said police sources.
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Smooth coordination with civil administration
Police sources said “It was a tremendous job. It was an unprecedented one. Whenever any VVIP’s road journey would be described, there is bound to be a mention of Jharkhand police as to how it met with the clock in the worst of time from the weather point of view, longest road journey.”
On being asked if there was any inconvenience to ambulance or private transportation police sources said “No. Not at all. Police had ensured movement free of halt except at crossroads (read chowk / chouraha) where Jharkhand police had to put things in order most.”
There was a great word of appreciation for Amitabh Kaushal, IAS, and another IAS officer Uma Shanker from the police hierarchy which said “They worked as sincerely and adroitly like any senior police officer.”
