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President Ram Nath Kovind during his visit to Lingdum Monastery in Sikkim on Saturday.[/caption]
Gangtok, Nov. 2 (PTI/IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind, along with his wife Savita, arrived here on Saturday on a two-day visit to Sikkim.
He was accorded a warm welcome by Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and senior civil and army officials at the army helipad at Libing here, a release issued by Information and Public Relations Department (IPR) said.
Kovind, after receiving the guard of honour upon his arrival, left for Raj Bhawan.
He is scheduled to attend the Sikkim University’s fifth convocation ceremony on Sunday among other engagements in the state capital, the IPR release added.
President Kovind to make maiden visit to Meghalaya on Nov. 4
President Ram Nath Kovind would make his maiden visit to Meghalaya on Monday to address a convocation at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), one of India’s premier central universities.
The President will arrive from Guwahati by an Indian Air Force helicopter and land at Eastern Air Command headquarters’ Advanced Landing Ground in Upper Shillong.
Governor Tathagata Roy and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, besides other dignitaries will receive Kovind.
NEHU Vice Chancellor Prof. S.K. Srivastava told IANS that the university is all set to welcome the President. Kovind is also the Visitor of NEHU, which was set up in 1973.
“Nearly 2,000 students would get their degrees and Ph.D degrees,” Srivastava said.
Gujarat-based Kanubhai Hasmukhbhai Tailor, an Indian physically disabled social worker from Gujarat and the founder of the Disabled Welfare Trust of India will be conferred the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards the uplift of physically challenged people, he added.
Tailor was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2011 by the then President Prathiba Patil.
State Director General of Police R Chandranatha assured that all security arrangements have been made to avoid any untoward incident during the President’s visit.
“We are abiding by provisions of security needs and protocol for the President’s visit as per the blue book. The security arrangements are primarily officer-oriented,” Chandranathan said.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya’s capital Shillong is getting a facelift, and cleaning of the city thoroughfares is in full swing ahead of the President’s arrival.
