President Pratibha Patil arrives in Vidarbha

Nagpur, Sep 6 (UNI) President Pratibha Patil arrived here today on a brief visit to Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Ms Patil arrived here from New Delhi by a special aircraft this morning, an official spokesman said. She immediately left by helicopter for Achalpur in adjoining Amravati district, where she is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a spinning mill in the afternoon, he said.

The President would then proceed to Amravati and camp there for the night, the spokesman said. On Sunday, Ms Patil would flag off the inaugural run of the new Amravati-Mumbai train, and also lay the foundation stone of the new building of Amravati Railway Station, he said.

Ms Patil would then proceed to Nagpur by helicopter, and return to New Delhi by a special aircraft the same evening, the spokesman added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is accompanying Ms Patil. Mr Deshmukh arrived here from Latur by air this morning, the spokesman said. He would go back to Latur by a special aircraft tonight, he added.

This is Ms Patil's second visit to Amravati after getting elected as a president in October last.

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