Pranab Mukherjee to visit Vrindavan Sunday

President Pranab Mukherjee will be visiting the famous Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan Nov 16, officials said Wednesday.

A high-level security arrangement has been made for the presidential visit since the temple is located in a very narrow lane. While the security would be overseen by special police and an army unit, the state government has appointed 36 magistrates to take care of the visit.

District magistrate Rajesh Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Manjil Saini have conducted multiple rounds of meetings and instructions have been issued by the state government to make Vrindavan a no-power cut zone for November 15-16, an official told IANS.

Mukherjee is coming to attend a function at the Chandrodaya temple but exressed his desire to visit the Bankey Bihari temple as well.

Several black-faced, long-tailed langurs have also been integrated into the security service as the narrow bylanes are infested with red-faced rhesus monkeys, who often attack visitors to the Krishna temple. The langurs would keep a check on them.

The President will walk the last 200 metres from the VVIP car parking to the temple. Encroachments on the road will be removed and CCTV cameras installed at the temple premises, a district official informed.

While there is no word on whether Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will receive the President, sources said that Governor Ram Naik will be present at Vrindavan to receive Mukherjee.

A high-level meeting will be presided over by chief secretary Alok Ranjan Wednesday to finalise the plans for the presidential visit.

-- Indo-Asian News Service

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