Alappuzha: Revving up the spirits of both organisers and the spectators, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come as a last-minute entry to the galaxy of VIPs gracing the inauguration of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, the preparations for which are complete now.
He will be joined by his Cabinet colleagues, the Tourism Minister P A Muhammed Riyaz, Revenue Minister K Rajan, Agriculture Minister P Prasad, Health Minister Veena George and LSG Minister M B Rajesh for the grand regatta. The other guests of eminence are Kerala High Court Chief Justice Ashish J Desai and Southern Air Command's commander-in-chief Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikandan.
The arrival of the Chief Minister at the last minute has unnerved the police establishment, especially the Special Branch manning security and they are on their toes to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch till the end.
The online ticket sales (over Rs 15 lakh) on the other hand have been closed after a heavy rush was witnessed to lap up the same by the people around and far and wide.
The Chief Minister will inaugurate the boat race at 2 pm while the Chief Justice will receive the salute of honour during the mass drill to be held at 2.30 pm.
“We have received an enormous response in terms of participation and sponsorship this time. We could also campaign well this time. Last time the event was held after a hiatus of three years due to Covid-19, so oarsmen were not really prepared. This time the boat owners, oarsmen and organizers are all well-prepared,” Suraj Shaji, Sub-Collector, Alappuzha, who is also the secretary of Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society, told Onmanorama.
