President Murmu inaugurates, lays stone for projects in Uttarakhand

President Droupadi Murmu was on Thursday felicitated at the residence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami after arriving here on a two-day visit to the state.

She inaugurated three projects worth Rs 528.35 crore and laid the foundation stones of six others worth Rs 1,473.59 crore in the presence of Dhami and Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh.

Murmu, on her first visit to Uttarakhand since assuming office, showered praise on the Himalayan state for its beautiful location and the affection with which she had been received.

"I feel blessed to be in this land. The natural beauty of Uttarakhand and the warmth of its people had touched everyone from Swami Vivekananda to Mahatma Gandhi and the poet of nature Sumitra Nandan Pant," she said.

Uttarakhand resides in the hearts of people as it is located in the Himalayas and the holy rivers that irrigate the earth and nourish lives throughout the country originate here, she said.

The president also praised the state for its great military traditions and remembered former Army chief Gen Bipin Chandra Joshi and Gen Vipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff.

Even incumbent Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan is also "an able son of Uttarakhand", she said.

Murmu also paid a tribute to soldiers from the state who have sacrificed their lives for India in successive wars.

The president, who arrived at the Jollygrant Airport in an Indian Air Force aircraft, was received by the governor and the chief minister. Cabinet ministers Premchand Aggarwal, Saurabh Bahuguna, Chief Secretary SS Sandhu and Director-General of Police Ashok Kumar were also present.

She also inspected a guard of honour after her arrival.

The president will attend a programme at Mussoorie's Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and address the convocation of Doon University on Friday.