The Nitish Kumar government is leaving no stone unturned to make the longest human chain in the world on January 21 for spreading awareness about prohibition.
The chain at Gandhi Maidan will be in shape of the Bihar map. The word Bihar will be written in Hindi.
Five satellites, including two from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and three foreign satellites, will capture the image of the 11,290-km-long chain which includes 3,007km along national and state highways.
Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said: "Through the human chain we want to create awareness about the benefits of prohibition. The human chain is not for making an entry in the Guinness World Records."
As all political parties baring a few have supported the human chain, political workers and leaders have been asked not to carry any flags, banners and posters. The state government has urged public representatives, including MLAs, MLCs, ward councillors and mukhiyas to participate. Ministers and administrative secretaries have been assigned different districts and they have been asked to camp there. The state government is expecting a turnout of nearly 2 crore people.
Students from Class V and above will take part. Sources said in Bihar there are around 2.12 crore students between classes I and XII.
The education department, the nodal agency, will organise street plays and other awareness programme. The information and public relations department has put up banners and posters in different parts of the districts.
Control rooms will be set up at block and district levels. At a distance of 1km each, there will be a coordinator to monitor the event. Also there will be traffic restrictions on routes where the human chain will pass.
Director-general of police P.K. Thakur said: "The human chain event will be from 12.15noon to 1pm. Two hours before and after the event, traffic on the routes where the human chain will pass through will be stopped."
Thakur said: "A large number of police personnel along with women cops and volunteers will be pressed into service." A huge replica of an alcohol bottle with a cross mark will be on display."
Patna senior superintendent of police SSP Manu Maharaaj briefed his officers to ensure that no untoward incident occurs at the event. Maharaaj asked his officers to see that no one enters the event with liquor bottles.
Rehearsal
Bihar Private School and Children's Welfare Association organised a rehearsal of the human chain event in support of prohibition at Patna zoo on Monday.
Education minister Ashok Choudhary, minority welfare minister Abdul Ghafoor, excise and prohibition minister Abdul Jalil Mastan and animal and fish resources minister Awadhesh Kumar Singh inaugurated the event. More than a lakh students participated in the awareness drive in 38 districts of Bihar, including 6,000 in Patna.
