DOUBLY CAREFUL: Two Sikorsky Vh-3D choppers hovering over the Hyderabad airport on Tuesday checking out landing procedure ahead of the arrival of US President George W. Bush. — Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: The sprawling Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) campus is teeming with police, safari-clad officers and members of the United States Secret Service.

With 48 hours to go for the visit of US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, the passes for the visits are yet to be handed over.

Virtually every Indian has to have a pass cleared by Americans for movement on campus. It includes ANGRAU Vice-Chancellor Raghuvardhan Reddy.

Covering the visit

Heads of Government departments and media houses have been asked to furnish names, details and passport-sized photographs of those covering the two functions at ANGRAU and Indian School of Business (ISB).

No matter if the names are already security-vetted at the highest levels in India. The Americans want a re-check, be it a top Intelligence sleuth or senior official.

Around Tuesday noon, Sikorsky choppers that will fly alongside Air Force One were through with their landing and take-off procedures.

They appeared to be satisfied with the arrangements at Begumpet Airport, ANGRAU and ISB, including those made to secure the airspace for the four hours involving the US President's visit to Hyderabad.

Hi-fi gadgets

At ITC Grand Kakatiya Sheraton and Towers, an entire business centre has been taken over and converted into a command centre with 18 Americans. It is billed as a replica of the one in White House as far as gadgetry goes.

Packed with state-of-the-art equipment, it has hotlines to the White House, communication lines for seamless contact with satellites and monitors displaying images of both the venues and the immediate vicinity.

The official media centre of the US has been set up in Hotel Fortune Katriya, another ITC property in Hyderabad.

This is where the fax machines, computers and phones have been installed for use by the global media contingent in town to cover the Bush visit.

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