President Murmu's Southern Sojourn: Hyderabad Prepares for Historic Five-Day Visit

Telangana Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao announced on Thursday that as part of her winter retreat, President Murmu will be staying at the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad from December 17 to 21.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reviewed the arrangements to be made for the President's five-day visit to the state with senior officials at the B.R. Ambedkar State Secretariat.

The Chief Secretary directed the concerned officials to work in coordination and make extensive arrangements for the President's visit.

He instructed the Central government departments, state government officials, and Rashtrapati Nilayam officials to coordinate the arrangements.

He directed the police department to prepare a proper security, traffic, and bandobast plan; the fire department to deploy necessary personnel and provide adequate fire safety arrangements and fire tenders; and the medical and health department to keep a medical team on standby.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy instructed the State Roads and Buildings Department to make necessary barricading and other arrangements, to carry out road repairs in coordination with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the police department, and directed the electricity department officials to take appropriate measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

He ordered that a snake catcher team be kept available round-the-clock at the Rashtrapati Nilayam.

He also directed GHMC officials to deploy special teams to tackle the monkey menace in the vicinity of the Rashtrapati Nilayam and to make advance arrangements for catching honeybees.

The President stays at least once a year in Rashtrapati Nilayam and conducts official business from here.

The building was constructed in 1860 as the country house of the British Resident at Secunderabad.

After Hyderabad's accession to India in 1948, it became the President's retreat.

First President Rajendra Prasad had stayed here in 1955 and since then every President visited Hyderabad for southern sojourn at least one week every year.

Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary of Roads and Buildings Vikas Raj, Special Chief Secretary of Home Department C.V. Anand, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, Principal Secretary of Energy Department Naveen Mittal, Political Secretary E. Sridhar, Additional DGPs Mahesh Bhagwat, GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan, Director General of Fire Services Vikram Singh Mann, Special Commissioner of Information and Public Relations Ch. Priyanka, Protocol Director Shivalingaiah, and other senior officials participated in the review meeting.

- IANS