Hyderabad, Dec 22 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu returned to Delhi on Monday after a five-day winter sojourn here.
Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy and others saw her off at Air Force Station, Hakeempet.
Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao, Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy and senior civil and defence officials were also present.
The President had arrived here on December 17 and stayed at Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bollarum, as part of her winter retreat.
Police had made tight security arrangements and diverted traffic at various points on the route from Rashtrapati Nilayam to Air Force Station.
The President attended a couple of programmes during her stay in the city. On December 19, she inaugurated the National Conference for the Chairpersons of Public Service Commissions, being organised by the Telangana Public Service Commission at Ramoji Film City.
On December 20, she addressed a conference on ‘Timeless Wisdom of Bharat: Pathways of Peace and Progress’, being organised by Brahma Kumaris Shanti Sarovar to mark its 21st anniversary.
The President hosted an ‘At Home’ reception at Rashtrapati Nilayam on December 21. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Legislative Council Chairman G. Sukhender Reddy and senior officials attended the ‘At Home’.
Central government and state government departments, as well as Rashtrapati Nilayam officials, made elaborate arrangements for the President’s stay.
The President stays at least once a year in Rashtrapati Nilayam and conducts official business from here.
The building was constructed in 1860 as the country house of the British Resident at Secunderabad.
After Hyderabad acceded to India in 1948, it became the President's retreat.
First President Rajendra Prasad had stayed here in 1955, and since then, every President has visited Hyderabad for a southern sojourn of at least one week every year.