Pti

Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Bhubaneswar on Friday on a two-day visit to Odisha.

The President is scheduled to attend a function at the Army Air Defence College (AADC) in Gopalpur in Ganjam district on Saturday.

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy and DGP B K Sharma received Kovind at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.

Soon after arriving here along with wife Savita Kovind, the President left for Gopalpur by an IAF chopper.

They will stay there overnight, officials said.

Apart from Kovind, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is also scheduled to attend the function at the AADC.

Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are also slated to attend the function at Gopalpur.

Kovind will hand over the prestigious President's Colours award to the Corps of Army Air Defence at the function, officials said.

The President's Colours award is the highest military honour for an armed forces organisation.

The selection for this prestigious award is based on the performance and achievement during both peace and hostilities.

One of the youngest corps of Army, the Army Air Defence Corps bifurcated from the Regiment of Artillery over 25 years ago. Spread over 2,700 acres, the institute boasts of modern facilities, equipment and weapons.

Established in 1989 as an autonomous body, the Army Air Defence College (previously Air Defence and Guided Missile School and Centre) is the training school for the personnel of the Air Defence Corps.

"We have made elaborate arrangements for the visit of the President," the Superintendent of Police of Berhampur, Pinak Mishra, said.

He said at least 12 platoons of the forces and over 100 police officers were pressed for the security of the President.

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