The scheduled visit of India’s first woman president Pratibha Patil’s husband to Maharashtra has caused a flurry in political and bureaucratic circles in the state. For his visit, the state government has received some directives from the Rashtrapati Bhawan such as to arrange three AC cars, five officials, a VIP suite and preferably pohe for breakfast.

Pratibha Patil’s spouse, Devisingh Shekhawat, 75, is a Congress MLA from Rajasthan. According to the report, he is likely to arrive in Mumbai on August 7 and would stay in the state for seven days. He would leave for New Delhi from Nagpur on August 14. For his comfortable stay in Mumbai, Nagpur and Amravati, Rashtrapati Bhavan has made a grand eventuality plan for him.

A senior state government official said that many relatives of important persons holding constitutional office have visited Maharashtra regularly but this would happen for the first time that the spouse No. 1 is coming here.

Rashtrapati Bhavan also said that this was a customary call to send out a protocol drill for the spouse of the President. The reoport says that the Rashtrapati Bhavan has sent directives to state government to provide Shekhawat with five officials (a senior protocol officer, a public relations officer, a personal security officer, a photographer and an attendant) during his visit. He would stay at the Sahyadri guesthouse in Mumbai and the circuit house at Amravati.

According to TOI reports, one suite for Shekhawat will be reserved in Sahyadri guesthouse. The room will have all facilities such as an STD telephone line, fax, Computer with Internet and a printer too. Five more rooms with STD lines will be reserved for his officials to stay. One local photographer and three AC cars will also be there all three places, Mumbai, Amravati and Nagpur.

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