Bhubaneswar: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here Monday evening to take part in the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention to be held later this week.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, his deputy Pravati Parida and state BJP president Manmohan Samal welcomed Jaishankar at the airport here.
From the airport, the union minister left for Konark, where he will spend the night.
Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the Sun Temple at Konark, Jagannath temple in Puri, heritage craft village at Raghurajpur and Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar Tuesday.
“The chief minister and his team have made great arrangements for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This will be a very fantastic and successful event,” he told media persons at the airport.
The three-day event will commence December 8.
Majhi said the state got the opportunity to host for the first time after the formation of the new government and all arrangements have been made for the convention.
“As per the instructions of the Prime Minister, we are making the best preparations and programmes. The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be better than the previous one,” the CM said.
Meanwhile, overseas Indians have started reaching the city to take part in the event. About 50 guests arrived at the airport Monday, director of Bhubaneswar airport Prasanna Pradhan said.
“We are welcoming the international delegation in a traditional manner. Cultural troupes are here to perform during the arrival of the guests,” Pradhan said.
Besides, a special reception desk, help desk and police control room have been set up at the airport for them.
Deputy Chief Minister Parida said that the guests would visit 31 places of tourist interest in the state.
The state government has also collaborated with different private tour operators and made ‘home stay’ accommodations ready for some international guests so that they can experience Odia culture and tradition during their stay in the state, Parida said.
The Odisha Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the event, which will be attended by a host of VVIPs.
Apart from senior police officers, 40 platoons of police force would be deployed in Bhubaneswar to provide security during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event, a senior officer said.
The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate of Police issued a traffic advisory for three days from January 8 to 10.
The Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held January 8 while the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention here January 9. The inaugural event will feature a virtual address by the Chief Guest, Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.
The theme of this PBD Convention is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.
A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention.
As per schedule, the PM will remotely flag off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora, which will depart from the Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi and will travel to multiple destinations of tourism and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks.
The convention will culminate with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards ceremony on the third day, which will be graced by President Droupadi Murmu.
