Prez unveils Raghunath Murmu’s statue

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday arrived in Odisha and unveiled a statue of Santali writer and educator Pandit Raghunath Murmu here. She also visited Adim Owar Jarpa Jaher, a sacred place for Santals, in Bhubaneswar and offered prayers.

The President was accorded a warm welcome at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), where she landed on a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to commence her five-day visit to Odisha. She was received at the airport by Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries.

People standing on both sides of the roads from the airport to Niladri Vihar area in the city welcomed the ‘daughter of the soil’. She will spend the night at Raj Bhavan here. During her Odisha tour, she will visit Khurda, Puri and Mayurbhanj districts for various programmes.

As per the President’s official itinerary, she will leave for Puri at 9 am on Wednesday and have ‘darshan’ and perform puja at the Jagannath temple.

She will also attend the 75th anniversary celebrations of Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya in Puri. At noon, she will have her lunch at Raj Bhavan in Puri and then attend the Navy Day celebrations at Blue Flag Beach.

She will return to Bhubaneswar from Puri on Thursday morning and attend the 40th convocation of Odisha University of Agricultural and Technology (OUAT) around 11 am. Thereafter, she will inaugurate the Bhubaneswar-based Judicial Court Complex around 5 pm and return to Raj Bhavan around 6.30 pm.

On December 6, Murmu will interact with residents of Uparbeda village, her birthplace. On the same day, she will interact with students and teachers at Mahila Mahavidyalaya in Rairangpur.

On December 7, the President will lay the foundation of Bangiriposi-Gorumahisani, Buramara-Chakulia and Badampahar-Kendujhargarh railway lines, a tribal research and development centre, Dandbose airport and a sub-divisional hospital in Rairangpur.

Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said a three-tier security arrangement has been made for the President’s visit. Over 40 platoons, including traffic forces, will be deployed.