Shillong, October 11: President Droupadi Murmu embarked on her inaugural two-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, making a significant historical visit to the region. Her arrival at Srinagar airport’s technical area in morning was marked with a ceremonial guard of honor.
As per IANS, upon her arrival at the airport, the President is scheduled to proceed to the headquarters of the Army’s 15 corps in the Badami Bagh cantonment area of the city, where, in her role as the supreme commander of the armed forces, she will pay her respects by laying a wreath at the war memorial inside the headquarters.
Following this solemn ceremony, the President will travel in a motorcade to the Hazratbal campus of Kashmir University, where she is slated to deliver the University’s 20th convocation address. At the convocation, 400 students and scholars will be honored with gold medals, M.Phil, and Ph.D. degrees, with some recipients receiving their awards directly from the President herself.
In the evening, a mesmerizing light and sound show on Dal Lake in Srinagar will be attended by President Murmu. Furthermore, the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Singh, will host a formal dinner in her honor.
On October 12, the President’s itinerary includes a flight to Jammu city, followed by a helicopter journey to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra town, located in the Reasi district. At the shrine, President Murmu will pay her respects and inaugurate two prestigious projects, a skywalk, and the refurbished Parvati Bhawan.
The skywalk, designed to enhance the pilgrimage experience, will facilitate the movement of devotees to and from the shrine via two distinct routes. The revamped Parvati Bhawan boasts 1,500 lockers and segregated floors for male and female visitors, offering a convenient and free-of-cost service to the daily influx of 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims. Visitors will deposit their belongings in lockers, bathe, and then proceed for Darshan, utilizing the skywalk for their return journey.
In anticipation of the President’s visit, security measures in Srinagar have been significantly heightened. The security forces have conducted thorough sanitization of the Kashmir University campus, employing drones, advanced electronic equipment, and extensive CCTV surveillance for enhanced safety. Entry and exit points to Srinagar are closely monitored, with stringent regulation of vehicular and pedestrian access through frisking and other security measures. Special cordon and search operations are also underway in various parts of the city to ensure that anti-national elements and miscreants are effectively deterred.
A senior security official emphasized that the security arrangements are meticulously designed to be 100% foolproof while ensuring minimal inconvenience to the general public.