Only mobile phones allowed at PM Modi's rally in Navi Mumbai

Only mobile phones will be allowed to be carried to the Kharghar venue a directive from Navi Mumbai police states appealing to people who intend to visit the Prime Minister Narendra Modi preelection public gathering today Contractual workers hired by the local administration were seen hurriedly trimming the trees fixing the roads and street lights and even washing the road dividers before the PMrsquos visit Some schools in the vicinity have already informed parents about an early dispersal of students due to anticipated traffic congestion The rally is expected to start at 3 pmVisitors to be screenedPrashant Mohite DCP Zone II Panvel said ldquoWe will be screening all the visitors attending the event thoroughly and those found carrying any sort of handbags including ladiesrsquo purses party banners and water bottles will be barred from entering the venue Only mobile phones will be allowed at the venuerdquoWorkers setting up the shed for the rallyldquoThe local party organisers have ensured that there are adequate drinking water facilities medical teams and even mobile toilets have been provided at the venue The venue is covered with German hangar shed for better ventilation and to prevent any extreme heatlike situation Even during the afternoon time the venue is comparatively comfortable to sit inrdquo said DCP MohiteTraffic arrangementsChairs arranged at the venue where PM Narendra Modi will address the gathering todayldquoWe have notified certain roads as designated parking for VVIPs closer to the venue followed by no parking and road diversion in some arterial roads connecting the venue from Kharghar and Taloja Also traffic arrangements around the lsquohelipadrsquo Owe Cricket ground to the venue in sector 29 both sides of the road are made without parkingrdquo said Tirupati Kakade DCP Traffic Vijay Rane Fire Chief said ldquoWe have deployed six fire tenders and twenty additional manpower at the venue other than the staff on each fire tendersrdquoBJP candidate speaksPrashant Thakur the BJP candidate from Panvel Assembly Constituency said ldquoThis election our party is banging on the extensive work done by us and considerable growth seen in the constituency between 20192024mdashbe it the international airport which would develop large scale employment opportunities and growth Work on the tunnel connecting Kharghar to Turbhe has started Metro line connectivity between CBD Belapur to Pendhar 25 health care centres in the constituency and development of parks gardens etcrdquoTrimming of plants on the road dividers by contractual staffCandidatersquos kin speaksldquoMy wife Leena has walked the talk by being with the people of her constituency Those in power seldom did anything in the larger interest of the common man and they are making tall claims today We are confident that the 70 per cent cosmopolitan crowd in our constituency knows the reality and they will surely cast their votes to their leader who leads their issues from the frontrdquo said Arun Garad husband of Leena Garad Shiv Sena UBT candidateResident group speaksldquoWe dont find any contestants giving us our basic requirements like water roads footpaths maintained gardens etc Instead we see contestants busy with their own securities and assurances I am aware that some societies in Taloja have also put up banners of no water no votes The Prime Ministers visit is just an eyewashrdquo said Mangal Kamble founder and president of Swachh Kharghar FoundationDirectives for Mumbai RallyldquoWe are anticipating a crowd of almost 120 lakh to attend the gathering at Shivaji Park Public attending the venue have been directed not to carry any bags food or water bottles We have arranged for disposable paper glasses and will be providing water inside the venue The crowd is expected to take their seats between 4430 pm and the prime minister would address the gathering around 545 pm onwards time may change a bit as per schedulerdquo said Manoj Kotak BJP leader and former Member of ParliamentMumbai Traffic Police have issued a notification stating that certain roads will be designated as noparking zones and will have traffic diversions This measure is due to the expected increase in vehicles from the Western and Eastern Express Highways heading toward Shivaji Park carrying a large number of attendees