Prez likely to visit Bhaderwah tomorrow

Jammu, May 25 (UNI) The chopper ferrying President Pratibha Devisingh Patil was forced to return to Srinagar today due to the inclement weather, keeping thousands of people waiting for her in the fortress-turned town of Bhaderwah in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the president is likely to visit the Bhaderwah township tomorrow to inaugurate the extension campus of Jammu University, as the government machinery has again been activated to ensure incident-free event.

The chopper could not cross to the other side of Pir Panjal range of Himalayas due to bad weather, a senior official accompanying the President told UNI.

''We were told that it (chopper) cannot go further and we are returning back,'' the official said, informing that Ms Patil was back in Srinagar.

Maintaining that the rest programme would remain as scheduled, the official said, ''there is possibility of her (president) visit to Bhaderwah tomorrow. But, it is yet not finalised.'' The security forces and other arrangements at the venue were kept intact.

Sources at Bhaderwah, however, informed that Ms Patil's visit to the town has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 1100 hrs to finally inaugurate the campus.

Over 20,000 people...Eds: Here pick up from line one, para one of DR 68 PRESIDENT-JAMMU-BAD WEATHER TWO LAST JAMMU.

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