The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee will be greeted upon his arrival at the Dehradun airport for a four day tour of the state by the state governor Krishan Kant Paul, chief minister Harish Rawat, chief secretary Shatrughna Singh and director general of police MA Ganapathy. The chief secretary presided over a meeting held at the secretariat here on Friday regarding arrangements made for the president’s four-day visit during the period from September 27 to 30.
Officials also discussed the aspects like the arrangements related to Jolly Grant, GTC Haridwar and the facilitation of an alternative fleet during the president’s visit. Separate arrangements will be made with 15 motor vehicles for the president’s secretariat and four luggage vans for the air crew. The minister chosen by the chief minister, mayor, principal secretary of home, additional director general of police for law and order along with the army sub-area general officer in commanding will receive the president on his arrival from Jolly Grant to GTC helipad. Mukherjee will inaugurate the renovated Ashiyana building on September 27 before leaving for Kedarnath on the morning of September 28. From the Kedarnath helipad, three all terrain vehicles will carry the president and his family members to the Kedarnath shrine.
Two helicopters of the civil aviation department will be posted at Guptkashi and contingency arrangements will also be made at Gauchar. After returning to his accommodation by the afternoon, Mukherjee will host a high-tea in the evening on the same day. After the Ganga Arti in Haridwar on September 29, the president will return by road to Dehradun. The chief secretary directed officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure that the condition of the Dehradun-Haridwar road is improved as desired by September 22. He further directed officers of the president secretariat, state’s Jal Sansthan, municipal corporation, PWD, horticulture, Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority, Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited, district magistrate and the Dehradun senior superintendent of police to conduct an inspection of all arrangements at the presidential accommodation and submit a report on the same.