Red alert in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR: A red alert has been sounded in Orissa in the wake of Saturday's twin blasts at Hyderabad in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh that killed at least 40 people.

"We have tightened security across the state and activated arrangements near sensitive locations, including the Jagannath Temple in Puri," Director General of Police Amarananda Pattnayak told on Sunday.

Security was tightened in and around major projects and in defence installations as well, he said.

Official sources said security was beefed up around the interim test range at Chandipur in Balasore district and several irrigation dams.

Khurda's Superintendent of Police Amitabh Thakur said all vehicles entering Bhubaneswar and Puri are being checked.

Railway police have enlisted the help of state police for checking at Bhubaneswar and Puri railway stations, he said.

All hotels and lodges on Grand Road in front of the Jagannath Temple in Puri are being checked, Superintendent of Police Asit Panigrahi said.

"Armed security personnel were deployed at four different points leading to the temple and vigil on roof tops has been activated," he said.

Vigil is also being maintained at the Sun Temple in Konarak, he said.

The movement of suspicious persons in some slums here was detected by police. "We suspect them to be members of Naxalite outfits. The local people have been asked to inform police as soon as they come across such persons," a source in the police intelligence wing said.