Odisha opens control centre for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Bhubaneswar, Jan 4 (PTI) The Odisha government on Saturday launched a central command control centre to coordinate with guests during the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas starting January 8.
    This centre will provide information and assistance to around 7,000 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who are likely to attend the event here, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
    The centre can be reached by dialing 1929 for support, with an Interactive Voice Response system in place for event-specific inquiries. Personnel from various departments will be deployed to assist the attendees.
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the event on January 9, while President Droupadi Murmu will address the gathering on January 10.
    Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also oversees the tourism department, confirmed that all departments are prepared for the occasion.
    "So far, 2,500 NRIs have registered, and guides speaking Odia, Hindi, and English will assist them at 31 tourist destinations," she said.
    For security and smooth operations, the commissionerate police in Bhubaneswar-Cuttack has deployed over 40 platoons of force, and around 100 Pravasi Mitra (volunteers) will assist with traffic management during the event.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)