Chennai, Aug 18 (IANS) Security has been tightened at Chennai airport and along East Coast Road ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the city.

Shah will arrive on Wednesday evening and chair a conference of the Chief Ministers of southern States and Puducherry at Kovalam in Chengalpattu district on Thursday.

The high-level meeting, to be held at a private luxury hotel on East Coast Road, will bring together the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, along with the Chief Minister of Puducherry. Shah will preside over the deliberations and address the gathering.

According to the official itinerary, the Union Home Minister will leave New Delhi aboard a special aircraft and land at the old airport in Chennai at 7.40 pm on Wednesday. Senior government officials and security personnel are expected to receive him on arrival. Shah will then travel by road from the airport to Kovalam, where he will stay overnight.

Elaborate security arrangements are being made along the route connecting the airport and the hotel, particularly on East Coast Road and other stretches his convoy will pass through. The conference is scheduled to take place at the hotel on Thursday.

Senior officials from the participating States and the Union Territory are also expected to attend. Discussions are likely to focus on issues concerning the southern region and matters requiring coordination between the Centre and the respective State governments.

After completing his engagements, Shah is scheduled to leave Kovalam by road at around 2.30 pm on Thursday. He is expected to reach the old airport at approximately 3.30 pm and depart for New Delhi aboard a special flight at 3.45 pm.

Chennai airport authorities received formal communication from New Delhi on Tuesday morning regarding the Union Home Minister’s visit.

Following the communication, officials convened a security review meeting at the old airport on Tuesday afternoon. Senior officials from Chennai airport, the city police, airport security agencies, VIP security units and the Intelligence Bureau attended the meeting.

They reviewed Shah’s arrival and departure arrangements, convoy movement, access control and security deployment at the airport. Additional security personnel will be deployed at the old airport on Wednesday and Thursday.

Surveillance and vehicle checks will also be intensified along the routes between Chennai airport and Kovalam.

The entire old airport complex will remain under enhanced security cover throughout Shah’s two-day visit, with access to sensitive areas being closely regulated.

–IANS

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