Red carpet welcome for PM at Kochi

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, DEC. 26. The Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, who stopped over at Kochi Naval airport for a few minutes enroute to Kumarakom was accorded a red carpet reception this afternoon.

Mr. Vajpayee who arrived on Rajahans, the special aircraft of Indian Air Force, was received on the tarmac by the Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar, the Governor, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Kang, the Kochi Mayor, Mr. C. M. Dinesh Moni, and the District Collector, Mr. K. R. Viswambharan.

Mr. Nayanar received the Prime Minister by garlanding him.

The Rajahans touched down at the Naval airport at 2.10 p.m. The Prime Minister was also greeted by a host of dignitaries, including political party leaders and legislators.

The BJP State organisational general secretary, Mr. P. P. Mukundan, the State president, Mr. C. K. Padmanabhan, and the Meghala president, Mr. A. N. Radhakrishnan, and Mr. George Eden, MP, greeted the Prime Minister by presenting him with shawls.

The Prime Minister also exchanged pleasantries with the former Union Minister, Mr. A. M. Thomas, for a few minutes at the pavilion.

Mr. Vajpayee was accompanied by his family members.

Those who were at the airport for receiving the Prime Minister included Vice Admiral Harinder Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief of Southern Naval Command, MLAs, Mr. Sebastian Paul, Mr. M. A. Kuttappan, Mr. M. A. Thomas, Mr. Dominic Presentation and Mr. K. Babu, the district panchayat president, Mr. K. B. Muhamad Kutty Master, the National Minorities Commission member, Mr. John Joseph, the Deputy Mayor, Mr. A. V. George, the ADM, Ms. Mini Antony, the BJP leaders, Ms. Rachel Mathai, Syamala Prabhu, the Bharatiya Janata Minority Morcha State president, Mr. V. V. Augustine, the BJP city president, Mr. R. Vamanaprabhu, Mr. Puthukalavattom Balachandran, the Kochi Corporation councillors, Mr. Sajeevan, Mr. David Parambithara and Mr. C. E. Vakkan.

After the reception, the Prime Minister boarded the helicopter of the Indian Air Force and proceeded to Kumarakom.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Chief Minister and the Governor.

The Naval helicopter carrying the Prime Minister and his entourage took off from the airport at 2.30 p.m.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Police blamed for inept crowd management
Next     : Policy aberrations in social forestry project