PM in city today

From widening and recarpetting of roads around the Bhargava Auditorium and the Advanced Cardiac Centre,to the last-minute touch ups,the PGI is all decked up to welcome the PM.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will also preside over the function. The one-hour convocation will begin at 11.30 am where 361 students will receive their degrees. These include 25 PhDs,36 DM (medical super-specialties),27 MCh (surgical super-specialties),140 MD,54 MS,three Masters of Hospital Administration,nine Masters of Public Health,11 MSc,14 Medical Laboratory Technologists and 42 in para-medical courses. Several gold medals will also be awarded for outstanding research work done in 2008.

After the convocation,the PM will inaugurate the much-awaited Advanced Cardiac Centre before leaving for the Punjab Raj Bhawan,where he is scheduled to meet local leaders who will press upon their demand to revive the post of chief commissioner in the city.

AT PU
The PM will reach his alma mater Panjab University around 2.30 pm to lay the foundation stone of a multi-purpose auditorium. University Vice-Chancellor

R C Sobti along with other faculty members today held a rehearsal ahead of a special convocation where the PM would be conferred upon with a degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa ). This is the PM’s first ever visit to the university after assuming office. From recarpetting of roads to painting of every nook and corner of the campus,the university too is donning a fresh look.

However,students of the Economics department were in for a rude shock when they learnt that Dr Singh will not be visiting their department where he was once a student and later a faculty member.

Talking to Newsline,Professor Sobti said,“We have tried our best to make the PM feel at home. The arrangements are not being made just because the PM is visiting the university. Rather the PM has been our former student and it is for the first time that he is visiting us after assuming office. We all are eagerly looking forward to his visit as it is a homecoming for our former student and a colleague.”

Other dignitaries who are likely to share the dais with Dr Manmohan Singh include Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,Union Minster of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja,Tourism and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad. The convocation will be followed by high tea.

PM’s itinerary
11 am
Arrives at the airport
11.30 am
PGI convocation
3 pm
PU convocation
4.30 pm
Departure
University closed
The university will remain closed on Tuesday. In lieu of this,Saturday would be a working day.

No traffic diversions
DSP Traffic Vijay Kumar said,“There will be minimum inconvenience to commuters. No road diversions have been planned for the PM’s visit.”

PGI faculty to meet Health minister
While they struggled to have a word with Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on his last visit to the PGI,members of the faculty association would again try to highlight their demands. They said the future course of action would be decided once they meet the minister.