Heavy security arrangements have been made in connection with the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] in Kannur on Thursday to declare open the Indian Navy's Ezhimala Naval Academy. Arriving at Karipur airport in Kozhikode from Chennai, the Prime Minister will reach Ezhimala on Thursday afternoon and reach the venue 'Nalanda' at 2.45 pm.

The prime minister will leave at 3.30 pm, naval sources said. Defence Minister A K Antony, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Southern Naval Command Chief Vice Admiral Sunil K Damle will be among those attending the function.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made at the Ezhimala Naval Academy and nearby localities, which are being monitored by the Special Protection Group, National Security Guards, Naval security men besides over 1,000 state police personnel.

Security personnel have also been stationed along the Arabian Sea coastline surrounding the sprawling Academy. Senior police and district officials are reviewing the security set-up in view of the prime minister's visit.

The project, spread over an area of 2,452 acres, is on the Pazhayangadi-Ettikulam route, about 35 kms from the district headquarters. The over Rs 720 crore project in Kerala's [Images] north Malabar coastline is unique in many ways, as it is surrounded by picturesque seven km stretch of beach, as well as part of serene backwaters and by seven hills.

With the Academy's commissioning, various basic training programmes including four-year B Tech courses in Electronics and Communications and Mechanical Engineering, will start in June. The curriculum has been structured by Delhi's [Images] Jawaharlal Nehru University and recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education.