President Pratibha Patil

Patna, March 21: The stage has been set to welcome President Pratibha Devisingh Patil tomorrow when she would inaugurate the centenary celebrations of the Bihar Legislative Council at the ground of the legislature complex.

Special arrangements have been made for her visit and only invitees will be allowed to attend the grand ceremony. This would be Patil’s second visit to the state.

Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, Tarakant Jha, said: “Five most experienced and aged legislators — P.N. Sharma, Ram Narendra Singh, Indra Kumar, Ramesh Prasad Singh and Shiv Nandan Singh — will be felicitated by the President. Chairman of other state councils like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir would also attend the celebration along with the Speaker of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.”

He added: “Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Rekha M. Doshit and Leader of Opposition in the state council Ghulam Gaus will also attend the function. We have also called the former MLCs settled outside Bihar.” Asking about the timing of the President’s visit, Jha said she would directly come to the ground at 12 noon and would stay till 1.15pm and then leave for the airport.

The ceremony would start with playing of shankh (conch) by college girls. On the occasion, Patil would release seven books, which includes list of Legislative Council members, introduction of the members, selected debate, history of the council, Bihar’s sacrifices during the Independence, 100 years of the state and changing Bihar. Governor Devanand Konwar would give the first copy of these books to the President.

Former MLC and convener of the programme Ram Bacchan Rai said: “The President will have tea with 15 selected people in the annexe building at 1pm. Earlier a lunch was organised but because of time constraint, the programme has been changed.”

Patna senior superintendent of police Alok Kumar on the security arrangements made for her visit said: “She would be getting three rounds of security. En-route arrangements have been put up from the airport to the venue. High-rise buildings have been taken into consideration and police have been deployed there.”