Mangaluru: Temple-town Dharmasthala is getting ready to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is visiting the town on Sunday even as police and security personnel have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event.

Over 2,500 police personnel, in addition to Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel, are deployed for security arrangements for the event at Dharmasthala, Ujire and en route from Mangaluru. Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) Executive Director L.H. Manjunath said that the general public cannot have darshan of the deities in Dharmasthala till 1.30 p.m. on Sunday.

Mr. Modi would arrive at Dharmasthala at 11 a.m. and leave at 1 p.m. after having darshan of the deities and attending a public programme at Ujire. He said that vehicles are barred from plying between Ujire and Dharmasthala between 9 a.m. on Sunday, while one can reach Ujire from Mudigere and Mangaluru without any obstruction.

The public programme at Ujire, to be held at the Ratnavarma Heggade Stadium, is open to the general public, who can enter the venue from Ujire and Belalu Road. Adequate arrangements for vehicle parking are made, while the public can be seated in the stadium by 10.30 a.m.

Mr. Manjunath said that carrying bags and water bottles inside the stadium is banned even as adequate drinking water arrangements are being made inside the stadium. People can enter from five gates behind the stadium, which can seat about 60,000 people.

Mr. Modi is visiting Dharmasthala and Ujire on the invitation of Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade to launch the latter’s new project — Save Earth, Transfer it to Gen Next — at the convention of SKDRDP’s Self-Help Group members.

On the occasion, he would distribute RuPay debit cards to self-help group members even as a memorandum of understanding would be signed between SKDRDP and State Bank of India to provide cashless transaction services to self-help groups.

Union Ministers H.N. Ananth Kumar, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Anant Kumar Hegde, district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Belthangady MLA K. Vasantha Bangera and others, besides Mr. Heggade and his family, are attending the programme.

Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has urged people in the district to welcome the Prime Minister in a grand manner. Speaking to presspersons at Belthangady near here after inspecting arrangements for the public programme, Mr. Kateel also urged the public to attend the programme at Dharmasthala in large numbers.

The programme at Ratnavarma Stadium, Ujire, in the noon is open to public, Mr. Kateel said.