Bilaspur/Manali, Oct 6 (IANS): President Droupadi Murmu is undertaking a three-day visit to Himachal Pradesh from Tuesday, with the first convocation of AIIMS Bilaspur and a visit to the strategic highway Atal Tunnel at Rohtang among the key engagements on her itinerary.
The President will attend the inaugural convocation of AIIMS Bilaspur as the chief guest. The institute has officially announced that its first convocation is being held on Tuesday, with the President as the chief guest. Governor of Himachal Pradesh Kavinder Gupta, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda will attend the convocation ceremony.
The ceremony marks an important milestone for the institute and the first batch of MBBS students who have completed their medical education at AIIMS Bilaspur. The President is expected to confer degrees and honour graduating doctors for their academic achievements.
After her Bilaspur engagement, President Murmu is scheduled to travel towards Manali. On October 7, she will visit the Hidimba Temple and the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang in the Lahaul-Spiti district. The visit to the tunnel is part of the President’s official programme announced by the President’s Secretariat.
The Atal Tunnel, which provides all-weather connectivity between Manali and the Lahaul Valley, is an important infrastructure link in the region. The President’s visit comes after her proposed visit to the tunnel during her earlier Himachal Pradesh tour in April was cancelled because of adverse weather conditions.
Heavy security and traffic arrangements have been put in place in Bilaspur and along the President’s proposed travel routes. Authorities have reviewed arrangements covering security, traffic management, parking, medical services, drinking water, power supply and emergency preparedness.
President Murmu, who is staying in the picturesque tourist resort Manali, is scheduled to conclude her Himachal Pradesh visit on October 8 and return to New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited AIIMS Bilaspur on October 5, 2022, and inaugurated the institution. The foundation stone of the hospital was also laid by the Prime Minister in October 2017, and was established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
AIIMS Bilaspur, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1,470 crore, is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 speciality and 17 super speciality departments, 18 modular operation theatres, and 750 beds with 64 ICU beds. Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24-hour emergency and dialysis facilities. Also, specialist health services are being provided by the hospital through health camps in inaccessible tribal and high Himalayan regions like Kaza, Saluni, and Keylong.
The hospital admits 100 students to MBBS courses and 60 students to nursing courses. Likewise, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the strategically important, all-weather Atal Tunnel connecting Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley on October 3, 2000.
Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world. The 9.02-km-long tunnel connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year.
Earlier, the valley was cut off for about six months each year owing to heavy snowfall. The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) from the mean sea level. The tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 km between Manali and Leh and the time by about four to five hours.
The South Portal of the Atal Tunnel is located at a distance of 25 km from Manali at an altitude of 3,060 metres, while the North Portal of the tunnel is located near Teling village in Sissu in the Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3,071 metres. It is a horseshoe-shaped, single-tube double-lane tunnel with a roadway of eight metres. It has an overhead clearance of 5.525 metres. The tunnel has been designed for a traffic density of 3,000 cars per day and 1,500 trucks per day with a maximum speed of 80 km per hour.
