Kolkata, Dec 6 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will begin his two-day visit to Kolkata from today.

Soon after his arrival at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Dr. Singh will head for Santiniketan in Birbhum district to attend the convocation of the Visva Bharati University.

According to university sources, he will confer the ''Deshikottama'', the highest award of the university, on six eminent personalities. They are economist and former Visva Bharati vice-chancellor Amlan Dutta, noted development economist Jean Dreze, scientist R. Narasimha, theatre personality Habib Tanvir, historian Irfan Habib and peace activist Debi Prasad.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will proceed for Malda where he will visit the late Congress leader A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury''s residence at Kotwali. He is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a technical institute named after him.

The Prime Minister will leave for Delhi the same evening.

A thick security blanket has been thrown across Kolkata and in Malda and Birbhum district of West Bengal in view of the Prime Minister''s visit. (ANI)