31 preventive arrests on eve of Naveen Patnaik's visit to Rourkela

At least 31 preventive arrests were made, mostly of local Congress leaders, before Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik's visit to the steel city today.

Those arrested since last night included activists of Congress, JMM and BJP from different parts of the city as the opposition parties has decided to protest the visit, police said.

Alleging that the BJD government has been neglecting the city, they are demanding construction of another bridge over river Brahmani, establishment of ESI medical college and hospital, among others.

Elaborate security arrangements had been made for the brief visit of chief minister to unveil a portrait of former chief minister Biju Patnaik and to inaugurate a building of the department of biotechnology and medical engineering inside the campus of the National Institute of Technology.