The Himachal Pradesh government accorded a warm welcome to the President on his arrival to the state capital on Thursday.
Governor Urmila Singh and chief minister Virbhadra Singh welcomed Mukherjee at the Kalyani helipad, 7 km from here.
Mukherjee was given the Guard of Honour by the Rajput Regiment stationed at Jutogh. He is on a three-day visit to the state from Thursday to Saturday. This is his first visit to Himachal Pradesh after becoming the President.
Besides, speaker of the HP Vidhan Sabha BB Butail, forest minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, urban development minister Sudhir Sharma, mayor of the Shimla municipal corporation Sanjay Chauhan, deputy mayor Tikendar Panwar, chief of staff ARTRAC Lt General BS Sachar, SM, VSM, chief secretary, Sudripta Roy, principal secretary to chief minister VC Pharka, director general of police B Kamal Kumar, deputy commissioner, Shimla, Dinesh Malhotra, superintendent of police Abhishek Dullar and other senior officers of the state government and the Army were present on the occasion.
Besides presiding over the golden jubilee celebrations of the Vidhan Sabha, the President will deliver a lecture at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) and will also preside over the convocation function of HP University, Shimla, and inaugurate Maharaja Agrasen University at Kalu Jhanda in Solan district during his visit.
{{/usCountry}}Besides presiding over the golden jubilee celebrations of the Vidhan Sabha, the President will deliver a lecture at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) and will also preside over the convocation function of HP University, Shimla, and inaugurate Maharaja Agrasen University at Kalu Jhanda in Solan district during his visit.
{{/usCountry}}In wake of the President's visit, the security has been heightened in and around Shimla. Parking of vehicles has been banned at many places. Heavy security has been deployed along the roads leading to The Retreat, where the President is staying.
Security rehearsals were carried out at the governor house, where the President will have a dinner. He will address a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on Friday.