President Pranab Mukherjee was accorded a warm welcome by Himachal Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on his arrival at Kalyani Helipad in Shimla on Thursday.
Mukherjee was given Guard of Honour by Rajput Regiment stationed at Jutogh. He is on a three-day visit to the State from May 23 to May 25. This is his first visit to Himachal Pradesh after becoming the President.
Besides, the Governor and the Chief Minister, Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, B.B.l Butail, forest minister, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, urban development minister Sudhir Sharma, mayor, Shimla Municipal Corporation Sanjay Chauhan, deputy mayor Tikendar Panwar, chief of staff ARTRAC lt. General B. S. Sachar, chief secretary, Sudripta Roy,
principal secretary to Chief Minister V.C. Pharka, Director General of Police, B. Kamal Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Dinesh Malhotra, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Dullar and other senior officers of the State Government and the Army were present on the occasion.
Apart-from presiding over the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Vidhan Sabha, the President will also deliver lecture at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), preside over the convocation function of HP University, Shimla and inaugurate the Maharaja Agrasen University at Kalu Jhanda in Solan district during his visit.
Heightened security arrangement have been made in the city for the President’s visit with no-parking of vehicles ordered on the roads leading to Mashobra, where president will be staying at The Retreat-the summer holiday resort for president.
Security rehearsals were carried out at Governor House, where President will have dinner and at Vidhan Sabha where he will address a special session on Friday and at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) where President will participate in convocation as chief guest.