Administration Steps Up Preparations for President’s Proposed Lahaul Visit.
Deputy Commissioner Directs Officials to Ensure Timely, Robust and Coordinated Arrangements.
Shimla:
The Lahaul-Spiti district administration has intensified preparations for the proposed visit of the President of India to Lahaul, with officials directed to ensure foolproof arrangements, strict coordination and timely completion of all preparations.
In this connection, a high-level coordination meeting was held today in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office at Keylong. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Lahaul-Spiti Kiran Bhadana and attended by senior officials from the district administration, police and various concerned departments.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on arrangements for the President’s proposed arrival at the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel, including the reception ceremony, traditional welcome and Guard of Honour. The Deputy Commissioner directed all departments to complete their assigned responsibilities strictly according to the scheduled programme and maintain close coordination at every level.
The administration also reviewed the traffic and security arrangements along the proposed presidential route. Officials were instructed to ensure safe and uninterrupted movement up to the Atal Tunnel and to effectively implement the traffic control and diversion plan for the VVIP route. Necessary measures were also discussed to prevent any obstruction or inconvenience along the route.
Special attention was given to arrangements for the accommodation, food and other essential facilities for security personnel deployed for the visit. Preparations for the President’s inspection of the Atal Tunnel were also reviewed, including arrangements to provide technical and other important information regarding the tunnel during the visit.
The meeting further reviewed protocol arrangements for the briefing and presentation at the Model Room, seating arrangements and high tea. The Deputy Commissioner directed officials to keep medical teams and essential healthcare facilities ready to deal with any emergency situation. Arrangements for crowd management, coordinated media coverage and cleanliness along the entire route and at the programme venue were also discussed.
Keeping in view the possibility of adverse weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances, the Deputy Commissioner directed officials to prepare alternative arrangements in advance. She also instructed the concerned departments to designate nodal officers, keep the district control room fully operational and conduct a complete rehearsal of all arrangements before the programme.
The meeting also reviewed ongoing repair and maintenance work on the National Highway near the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel. Necessary repair and other arrangements for preparing Atal Café as a green room were also assessed.
Officials were further directed to ensure that shops in the surrounding area remain closed during the proposed presidential programme. Instructions were also issued to remove illegally parked and abandoned vehicles from the VVIP route to ensure smooth and secure movement.
Deputy Commissioner Kiran Bhadana directed all officials to complete preparations related to the President’s visit with the utmost seriousness, vigilance and responsibility within the stipulated timeline. She stressed that all departments and agencies must work in close coordination to ensure that the President’s proposed visit to Lahaul is conducted in a safe, smooth, well-organised and dignified manner.
Those present at the meeting included Superintendent of Police Lahaul-Spiti Shivani Mehla, PO ITDP Ashwani Kumar, Tehsildar Vikas Kumar, BDO Muneesh Rai, CMO Dr. M.K. Gandhi, Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Department Ajay Gupta, Executive Engineer Public Works Department Ashwani Guleria, District Agriculture Officer Chaudhary Ram, ACF Anu Thakur, along with officials from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), BSNL and HRTC.
