Prez leaves for New Delhi via Guwahati

Shillong, Oct 24 (UNI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil left this morning for New Delhi via Guwahati after her maiden five-day visit to the North-East region.

She was seen off by Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Sekhar Mooshahari at the ALG helipad here.

Ms Patil will reach the Guwahati airport by a special Indian Air Force (IAF) MI-17 helicopter at around 1020 hrs. From there she will fly to Delhi in a special IAF aircraft. The President is expected to arrive in New Delhi at around 1255 hrs.

She inaugurated the second airport at Baljek in Tura, Meghalaya, yesterday.

Ms Patil is the second President of the country who visited the Garo Hills to inaugurate the airport. Dr Rajendra Prasad had visited the Hills 56 years ago in 1952.

On Wednesday, the President laid the foundation of the Rs 193.47 crore greater Shillong Water Supply phase III at Mawphlang.

Earlier in Guwahati, she gave away the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award for 2006 to Editor-in-chief, Indian Express, Shekhar Gupta and for 2007 to film actress and social activist Shabana Azmi. The actress could not attend the function due to unavoidable circumstances.

Ms Patil gave away the Nirmal Gram Puraskar to representatives of gram panchayats from 13 states including Assam, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

On Tuesday, she laid the foundation stone of Tezpur Medical College and attended the Sainik Sammelan at 4 Corps in the same district.

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