Bhubaneswar: A state-level preparatory meeting was held today at Lok Seva Bhavan, chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja to discuss arrangements for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Odisha on March 24 and 25.
According to an official press release, President Murmu will depart from Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, at 12:30 pm on March 24 aboard an air service aircraft.
She will arrive at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at 1:30 pm. From there, she will travel by a private helicopter to the helipad near the Kantilo Nilamadhab Temple in Nayagarh and then proceed by road to take temporary rest at a guest house in Kantilo.
Later that day, she will visit the Nilamadhab Temple at 3:05 pm to offer prayers. Afterward, the President will attend the foundation day celebrations of the Bharatiya Vishwas Samaj Foundation at Kaliapalli in Nayagarh at 3:35 pm as the Chief Guest.
Following this, she will return to Bhubaneswar and stay overnight at Raj Bhavan. She will then depart for New Delhi by an Air India flight on the morning of March 25.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of reviewing the preparations for the President’s visit and ensuring all necessary arrangements are in place.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrat Sahu, State Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania, DG of the Fire Services Department Dr. Sudhanshu Sadangi, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners, and Secretaries of various state departments, as well as senior officers from the State Police Administration.
District Collectors and Security Officers from Khurda and Nayagarh joined the meeting virtually and shared updates on the preparations.
The meeting focused on arrangements at the Nilamadhab Temple and security measures for the main event at Kaliapalli.
Key discussions included barricading the venue, repairing adjacent roads, and establishing a temporary helipad, as the Governor and Chief Minister are also scheduled to visit the venue.
The meeting also confirmed that, a control room will be set up by the Home Department to manage the security and logistics during the visit.