Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day Odisha visit during which he will inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention Thursday.
Modi arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport on a special flight from Andhra Pradesh Wednesday evening. He was received at the airport by Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, and others.
Amid tight security, Modi’s cavalcade proceeded towards Raj Bhavan, while a large number of people lined up on both sides of the roads to greet the PM.
As Modi’s motorcade passed through the road, folk artists performed, and cultural events were held in eight different places. The streets were illuminated with colourful lights hanging from trees.
According to official sources, the PM will spend the night at Raj Bhavan and inaugurate the PBD convention, the flagship event of the central government that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other, Thursday morning.
The 18th PBD is being jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Odisha government from January 8 to January 10. The theme of the convention is ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat.’
According to the schedule, Modi will reach Janata Maidan at 10am and attend the inaugural session of the PBD. He will also inaugurate four exhibitions and then take a tour of the exhibitions and promotional stalls of Union and state ministries and departments. He will remain at the convention centre till 1.45 pm, officials said.
Apart from formally inaugurating the convention, 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 Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi. This train will travel to multiple destinations of tourism and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks.
This is the fourth visit of the PM to Odisha after the general elections. First, he came June 12 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government in Bhubaneswar, and later September 17 to launch the Subhadra Yojana, a women empowerment flagship scheme of the Odisha government.
The last time Modi visited the state capital was November 29 to attend the All India DGP/IGP conference and spent three days. He is also scheduled to visit the state again January 28 to attend the Utkarsh Odisha Make-in-Odisha Conclave here.
PTI
