Balasore: The police took 31 BJP and 21 Congress workers into preventive custody while they were trying to stage protests during the visit of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Balasore Wednesday.
Police arrested two women workers of BJP after they hurled eggs at the podium of the Chief Minister at the inauguration of Talsari beach festival in the afternoon.
The Chief Minister went on an inauguration spree amid tight security. Patnaik landed at the police reserve ground from a helicopter at 1 pm and inaugurated three welfare projects and laid the foundation stones for eight other projects.
After the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister unveiled a statute of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik at DIC Chhak.
Five platoons of police force were deployed in the area accompanied by eastern range IG Binaytosh Mishra, SP Niti Sekhar and three DSPs.
Patnaik laid the foundation stones for a bridge over Palapala river (on the Sahada PWD road), another bridge across Dubidubi river (on the Lunikundi-Kasaphala road), Chhachina rural drinking water supply, the office building for Balasore ICDS, parks at Chandmari Padia, Kalyaninagar and Angaragadia, a flyover project at Shovrampur railway gate.
Among the projects inaugurated by the Chief Minister were included renovated roads from the railway station to Church Chhak and Zilla School road, a 50-bed sports hostel, a 100-bed hostel for SC/ST students at FM Autonomous University.
Police took 21 Congress workers into preventive custody when the latter were going to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister.
Some BJP workers staged a demonstration and showed black flags during the CM’s visit. Police took them into custody.
Reports said BJD and BJP workers had resorted to brick batting near helipad when the latter shouted slogans against the Chief Minister en route to the helipad.
Later, the Chief Minister left for Khaira block where he laid the foundation stone for projects – Markona-Oupada Roda (via Gandibeda and Aradi), Bhatapada-Bauripada road and a Biju Setu across Kansabansa river. PNN
