New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind will be the third President of India to address a special session of Himachal Pradesh assembly after former presidents Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee, Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar said on Tuesday.
Kovind will be addressing the special session of Himachal assembly on September 17 at 11 am to mark the golden jubilee of statehood.
Addressing a press conference here, Parmar said 93 sitting and former MLAs besides 11 sitting and former MPs will attend the one-day session. He said after President’s address, a felicitation ceremony for present and former MLAs will be held at the Library Hall of the assembly.
The Speaker said the president’s visit to the state has been cut short and he will return to New Delhi on September 19 instead of September 20.
He said the decision was taken after three employees of ‘The Retreat’, the presidential house in Shimla, were tested positive for Covid-19.
Parmar said all the arrangements have been put in place for the President’s visit to Shimla.
“Now, the President will be staying in The Oberoi Cecil at Chaura Maidan which is just a one-minute drive from the state assembly complex,” he added.
The President is also scheduled to visit Indian Audit and Accounts Academy on September 18.
He said for security purpose, the Chaura Maidan route has been closed for vehicular traffic.
The Speaker said that the Himachal government is organising a series of events to highlight the journey of Himachal in the last 50 years. He said these events could not be organised last year due to Covid situation. The purpose of these events is to remember all the personalities who have contributed to the development of Himachal Pradesh, he added.
Parmar also said that the as per the SOPs, the state government would conduct RT-PCR tests of all those who will attend the special session of the assembly.
Besides, tests of police personnel, staff of The Oberoi Cecil and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) will also be done, he added.
(With agency inputs)
