HYDERABAD: President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Hyderabad on Monday for the annual Presidential sojourn to the south and was welcomed by Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, officials of the Indian Army, Air Force, and the Navy and other dignitaries.
The President, who arrived by a special flight at the Begumpet airport, will be in the city till December 23, and stay at the Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bolaram.
Among those who greeted the President upon here arrival were Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Danasari Anasuya ‘Seethakka’ and D. Sridhar Babu, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, DGP Ravi Gupta, Hyderabad police commissioner K. Sreenivasa Reddy, Hyderabad district collector Anudeep Durishetty, and some BJP MLAs.
President Murmu is scheduled to take part in various events during her stay including attending the centenary celebrations of Hyderabad Public School on Tuesday, followed by a visit to Pochampally to visit handloom weaving centres and weavers.
On December 21, she is scheduled to take part in events at Rashtrapati Nilayam, and on December 22, will host a ‘at-home’ reception.
Her arrival at the Begumpet airport, instead of Hakimpet Air Force Station as announced earlier, resulted in traffic hurdles to the commuters. Her arrival during the peak hours caught commuters off-guard.
City police who had made arrangements for her travel from Hakimpet to Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bolaram had also issued a traffic advisory.
But with the President arriving at Begumpet airport, and the VIP convoys flocking the venue, there was no advance advisory and the police provided traffic updates on their social media platforms.
Traffic was thrown out of gear from Panjagutta to Secunderabad. Further, traffic movement was affected from Begumpet towards Bolaram.
Commuters vented their ire on social media. “It took literally 30 minutes to just cross the Somajiguda turn towards Praja Bhavan. First the road was closed for VIP movement, then as commuters questioned they started allowing vehicles,” wrote an X user.
