Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay reached Karur on Friday, nearly a year after the devastating stampede during his party rally that claimed 41 lives. Fans and supporters of the actor-turned-politician gave him a rousing welcome during his first official visit to Karur as Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to meet the families of the stampede victims at the District Collectorate, where he is expected to interact with them personally, official sources said.
As part of the state's rehabilitation efforts, he will hand over government appointment orders to one eligible member from each victim's family, fulfilling a key promise made after assuming office.
Vijay will also launch several welfare projects in the district.
Karur has been placed under tight security in connection with the Chief Minister's visit.
Local authorities, government officials and cadres of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) have been working round the clock to ensure the programme proceeds without disruption.
Large pandals have been erected at the main venue, where the Chief Minister is expected to address a public gathering and lay the foundation stone for several welfare projects in the district. To prevent overcrowding, access to the main venue has been strictly regulated through designated entry and exit buffer zones.
Attendance at the public meeting has been capped at around 5,000, with entry restricted to those holding digital QR code passes.
According to police sources, security arrangements have been intensified across the city, with more than 5,000 police personnel deployed for crowd management, traffic regulation, venue security and emergency response.
Officials from various departments have been coordinating over the past few days to review emergency exit routes, medical preparedness and crowd-control measures to ensure the event is conducted smoothly.