Better infrastructure, connectivity to make Kumbha grand affair: PM
The PM said the government’s was making efforts to modernise and provide better infrastructure to Prayagraj with projects worth Rs 4,500 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the government had taken a number of initiatives to improve Prayagraj’s infrastructure and connectivity to make upcoming Kumbh Mela a grand affair.
Addressing a rally at Andhawan in Jhunsi, Prayagraj, the PM said ensuring a grand Kumbh was an issue of honour and prestige of the country.
“I am here to give you a good news. During Kumbh, devotees will be able to visit Akshay Vat and also pay obeisance at the Saraswati koop inside Akbar’s Fort. This time every devotee visiting the place will be fortunate to visit Akshay Vat,” he said.
The PM said the government’s was making efforts to modernise and provide better infrastructure to Prayagraj with projects worth Rs 4,500 crore.
Earlier, the PM dedicated and laid foundation stones of various development projects worth around Rs 4,500 crore and released a coffee table book.
He also performed ‘Ganga pujan’ along with chief minister Yogi Adityanath and governor Ram Naik making it the first time when the traditional ‘Ganga pujan’, held before the start of Kumbh, being performed by a prime minister.
“In view of Kumbh, the new civil terminal of Bamrauli airport was constructed in a record one year. Be it Kanpur, Varanasi or any other city in UP located along the Ganga, projects worth over Rs 24,000 crore have been sanctioned to keep the Ganga clean. Work of 500 such projects has been completed while work is underway in 150 projects,” he said.
In his brief address, Yogi Adityanath thanked the PM on behalf of the people for facilitating entry of people and pilgrims to have ‘darshan’ of Akshay Vat.
“This is for the first time that the ambassadors and diplomats of 70 countries visited Prayagraj to witness the preparations for Kumbh as part of a world-level branding of the fair. This has been possible only because of the PM. This is for the first time that Kumbh is being promoted at such a scale and the tent city has also been extended from 1700 acres to 3200 acres,” Yogi said.
Several cabinet ministers, BJP MPs and MLAs also addressed the rally.
The PM inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various projects including flyover near the Allahabad high court (Rs 106 crore), UP Power Corporation Ltd’s infrastructure development project (Rs 88 crore), projects regarding modernisation of police, water police and fire departments (Rs 51 crore), new roads, pucca ghats constructed near Bakshi Bund (Rs 66.7 crore), roads and road widening undertaken by UP public works department (Rs 569 crore), projects of Jal Nigam (Rs 239 crore), health department projects (Rs 4.58 crore) and Kumbh Mela works (Rs 10.7 crore), road widening works and beautification of crossings and approach roads constructed by Prayagraj Development Authority (Rs 170 crore), and 74 projects of Prayagraj Nagar Nigam (Rs 210 crore).
The PM also inaugurated the newly-constructed civil terminal at Bamrauli airport and Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) in Kumbh mela area.
