President arrives in Orissa on 3-day visit

The President Pratibha Patil today arrived here on a three-day maiden tour of Orissa after assuming the office of the president of the country. She arrived by special IAF aircraft ‘Raj Kamal’ and was received by Orissa Governor, M C Bhandare and chief minister, Naveen Patnaik at the airport before going to Raj Bhavan after a ceremonial guard of honour.

The President is scheduled to visit Konark and spend about an hour at the Sun Temple tomorrow. She will have a 'darshan' of Lord Jagannth in Puri tomorrow afternoon. Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has made elaborate arrangements for the visit. The temple will be closed for the commoners during the President’s visit and the administration has been asked to ensure that none other than the servitors on duty are present in the temple. Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the visit of the President to Konark and Puri. About 37 platoons of security personnel would be deployed at both the historical sites to ensure her safety.