By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Oct: President Droupadi Murmu is set to visit Uttarakhand for a three-day tour in the first week of November, ahead of the State Formation Day celebrations. During her stay, President Murmu is scheduled to visit Haridwar on the first day of her tour and she is also scheduled to address a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly in Dehradun on the second day, and also participate in the Silver Jubilee celebration in Dehradun. She is further scheduled to visit Nainital on the third and final day of her stay in the state. During her stay in Dehradun, the President is scheduled to also inaugurate several new facilities at the Rashtrapati Niketan on Rajpur Road. Preparations for the presidential tour are in full swing in the state. Intensive arrangements are being made at Rashtrapati Niketan and Rashtrapati Tapovan located on Rajpur Road, which was earlier called Rashtrapati Ashiyana. Additional Secretary to the President’s Office, Rakesh Gupta, has already reviewed the preparations with Uttarakhand officials and has directed them to adhere strictly to the deadlines for the ongoing works. He also inspected the progress of various development projects being undertaken within the President’s Estate, including the under-construction Rashtrapati Tapovan.
A major attraction of the visit will be the expected inauguration of a newly developed Horse Riding Arena within the Rashtrapati Niketan campus. The arena, likely to be opened to the public soon, will allow visitors to observe the President’s special security horses and their routines closely. Horses from the President’s Bodyguard in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, are being brought to Dehradun for this facility. The arena aims to showcase the tradition and dignity associated with the President’s mounted guard unit. Once opened, the entire Rashtrapati Estate on Rajpur Road will be accessible to tourists.
In addition, the Uttarakhand Public Works Department (PWD) has also completed the construction of a Foot Over Bridge on Rajpur Road to ensure safe and convenient pedestrian movement to the Rashtrapati Estate. The bridge, built in the traditional Himalayan architectural style, is 32 metres long and four metres wide, with lift facilities provided on both sides. The project has been completed within six months. According to Public Relations Officer of the President’s Secretariat, Kumar Samaresh, both the Horse Riding Arena and the Foot Over Bridge are likely to be inaugurated during the President’s forthcoming visit.
It may be recalled that Murmu had earlier inaugurated Rashtrapati Niketan and Rashtrapati Tapovan on 20 June this year and these places have since become popular among tourists and local residents. As per the President’s Secretariat, 4,753 people have visited Rashtrapati Niketan and 15,567 visitors have toured Rashtrapati Tapovan over the past four months. It is estimated that nearly 20 lakh tourists will visit the soon-to-be-completed Rashtrapati Udyan annually.
Rashtrapati Tapovan, developed by the Eco-Tourism wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, has been designed as a ‘Nature Park’ that preserves ecological balance while enhancing visitor experience. IFS Officer PK Patro shared that efforts have been made to maintain the natural aesthetics of the park. A visitor feedback register has also been placed at the site, and a comprehensive database of plants, trees, birds, and other fauna has been compiled for ecological study and conservation purposes.
