The East Champaran district administration has geared up for a facelift of Motijheel according to the wishes of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

The administration has chalked out a beautification plan for Motijheel following the chief minister’s directives during his Seva Yatra last month.

It plans to construct pathways on both banks of the lake, parks and restaurants. Plans are also afoot to arranging boating facilities and lighting around the lake.

The district administration also plans to boost pisciculture (fish farming) in the region. “The administration is quite serious about the beautification plan for Motijheel as envisaged by the chief minister, said district magistrate (DM) Abhijit Sinha.

“The administration is very keen to develop and renovate the Motijheel, which has become a dream project of the chief minister. We are in regular touch with the heads of all concerned departments for giving a final shape to the project as early as possible,” added the DM.

On the encroachment on both sides of the Motijheel, Sinha said a committee of some administrative and police officers, formed under the additional collector, will inquire into the encroachment cases before removal.

“To avoid any incident of public protest during the survey of Motijheel and any chance of influencing the local-level surveyors by influential persons, the committee has been asked to engage surveyors from other blocks in the district. They (the committee members) have been directed to initiate the process of removing encroachments under the provisions of the Bihar Public Land Encroachment Act,” said Sinha.

Motijheel — a picturesque and natural lake — flows through the middle of the city and is spread across an area of 400 acres. It divided the town in two parts. Nitish, enchanted with the lake, had immediately directed the secretaries of all the departments concerned to complete preparations for converting the Motijheel into a national lake.

On the last day of his Seva Yatra — April 23 — Nitish had visited several spots on the banks of Motijheel, including the Rowing Club, as well as the main bridge over the lake. He asked the DM to apprise him of the several facts about the lake, like its area, the source of water, plans for beautification and removing encroachments on the lake.

Ordering the secretaries of the tourism, urban development, irrigation and environment departments to convert the Motijheel into a revenue generating and attractive tourist spot, Nitish had also asked the officials accompanying him to conduct a satellite survey of the whole area through Google. He advised the officials to consider the sewerage system, removal of silt and encroachment while conducting the satellite survey.