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The prime minister's office has confirmed that Atal Bihari Vajpayee's forthcoming trip to Manali in Himachal Pradesh is being rescheduled in view of the developments on the international border.
Vajpayee was earlier scheduled to spend a week in Manali from May 20.
According to a senior PMO official, the need to reschedule the visit was felt after the Cabinet Committee on Security met on Saturday morning to take stock of the situation arising from Tuesday's terrorist attack on an army camp in Kaluchak near Jammu.
"The visit has not been called off," the official told rediff.com on Saturday night. "It has been merely rescheduled. The fresh dates will be announced after due consultations."
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal confirmed this development. "The prime minister felt that there was a need for him to go to Jammu & Kashmir," he told rediff.com on telephone from his residence in Shimla, "to take stock of the situation on the border. This could happen sometime next week. Hence, according to the information available with us, the prime minister will now come to Manali only on May 24 instead of May 20."
The Himachal Pradesh police has already beefed up security in the Kullu/Manali region in view of the prime minister's forthcoming visit. Director General of Police A K Puri told rediff.com from his office in Shimla that more than 1,000 policemen had been deployed in the region and all roads leading to the hill resorts would be manned during the period of the prime minister's stay.
An officer of the rank of inspector general would remain in Manali right through the VVIP's stay, he added.
Meanwhile, the Intelligence Bureau has sent a senior officer to supervise intelligence gathering in the state. Bureau chief K P Singh too will be camping in Manali during Vajpayee's visit.
The Special Protection Group has sent advance teams to Pirni village in Manali where the prime minister will be staying at the farmhouse of his foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya. The teams have been deputed to 'sterilise' the surroundings and ensure that no anti-social element gains entry in the town.
EARLIER REPORT: PM may curtail Manali holiday
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