President Droupadi Murmu’s Odisha visit from tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit her home district Mayurbhanj in Odisha on Thursday for the first time after assuming office.

During her three-day stay in the state, she will attend a host of programmes, including the convocation of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada and a visit to Similipal Tiger Reserve.

As per schedule, after arriving at Kalaikunda Airport in West Bengal by a special plane of the Indian Air Force from Delhi, the President will board a helicopter to Odisha and land at Badampahar helipad in Mayurbhanj district at around 10.15 a.m. on May 4.

Murmu will first visit her in-laws’ village Pahadpur, where she will lay a wreath at the statue of her husband late Shyam Charan Murmu and lay the foundation stones of a community centre at SLS Trust School to be built by NABARD and a skill development centre. She is likely to spend some time with the school students and villagers at her in-law’s village.

Murmu will also visit Brahma Kumaris Centre, Hatbadra, Satapautia, where she will launch the Addition Free Odisha campaign. She is scheduled to attend some other programmes, including inauguration of a 100-ft tall flag mast hoisting the national flag near Badabandha, officials said.

On the next day (May 5) she will go to her Rairangpur residence and will spend about 20 minutes in the holiday home. From there, the President will visit Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s village Dandbosh and later to the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and spend the night at Baripada.

For the visit of Murmu, the STR will remain closed to visitors for two days (May 4 and 5). All the tourist spots inside the sanctuary, including Barehipani waterfall and Chahala forest resort have been made ready for the President’s visit.

On May 6, she will reach Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University, Baripada at around 10 a.m. to deliver the convocation address. The President will leave the MSCB campus at 12.15 p.m. and fly back to Kalaikunda airport of West Bengal, from where she will return to Delhi.

In view of the maidan visit of the President to her hometown, tight security arrangements have been made by Odisha Police. About 50 platoons of police force have been deployed at different locations, said a police official. Himanshu Lal, inspector general of police (eastern range), said three-layer security arrangements have been made for the President’s visit.

(IANS)