PM arrives in Bhubaneswar; begins two-day visit to Odisha

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday night on a two-day visit to the Odisha capital during which he is slated to inaugurate the 99th Indian Science Congress.

As he alighted from the special plane at the Biju Patnaik airport in Bhubaneswar, the prime minister was accorded a warm welcome by Governor M C Bhandare, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh among others.

Amid tight security, the prime minister accompanied by wife Gursharan Kaur, drove straight to Raj Bhavan where he would spend the night.

A thick security blanket had been thrown in and around the airport, while security personnel were positioned on both sides of the roads leading to Raj Bhavan.

The prime minister will inaugurate the Science Congress at KIIT University campus tomorrow.

The Congress, being hosted jointly by KIIT and National Institute of Science Education and Research, will be attended by some 15,000 delegates from across the globe.

Singh is also slated to visit the Congress Bhavan and hold brief interaction with party leaders before his departure.