Aurangabad hosts both President, PM on the same day

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Feb 8 (UNI) President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed through the city today for attending various engagements in Maharashtra.

State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar were also in the town to mark their visit.

This is perhaps for the first time that two persons holding the highest office in the country were in the city on the same day.

The President arrived at Chikalthana airport here by noon.

She was received by Mr Pawar and Mr Deshmukh at the airport.

The President made a brief stopover at the airport before she left for Jalgaon to attend a function. Mr Deshmukh accompanied the President.

Dr Singh arrived around 1450 hrs on a two-day visit to the State to attend functions in Ahmednagar and in Nagpur.

The police and the district administration have made elaborate arrangements from Chikalthana airport to Subhedari Guest House.

Heavy police ''bandobast'' has been made in and around the airport also. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Nasik) Ritesh Kumar has been called especially for the ''bandobast''. Special Protection Group (SPG) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men led the security cordon inside the airport.

The SGP and CISF officers had arrived here a couple of days in advance to make the security arrangements.

UNI PM-VK MAZ PK RK1925