Chief minister Nitish Kumar has instructed the district administration to ensure proper arrangements for the concluding day function of the 350th Prakash Utsav, which will be celebrated in the state capital from December 21 to 25, 2017.
During the inaugural function in January this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Patna and the event was organised on a grand scale in which 5 lakh devotees had gathered.
This time also, the state government wants to make the event a grand success and the instruction has come from none other than the head of the state - Nitish Kumar.
Patna district magistrate (DM) Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told The Telegraph: 'It is our responsibility to make the event a grand success as the chief minister has given us instructions. The CM has already conducted a meeting at the chief secretary's level in which instructions were issued to ensure the best arrangements for devotees from not only India but abroad as well.'
As per arrangements made by the district administration, this time, no function will be held at Gandhi Maidan, which was the main venue for the function where Modi had come. This time, all the function will be held at the Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib gurdwara in Patna City.
On the kind of preparations made by the district administration, Agarwal said: 'A tent city will be developed at Kangan Ghat and also at Bypass. The tent city will be developed in an area of 50 acres out which 20 acres will be used for parking. I have given instructions to the officials concerned to ensure proper management.'
The road construction department has asked its executive engineers to repair the roads under their jurisdiction whereas the Vaishali district administration has been asked to provide land at Kangan Ghat. 'I have asked the road construction department to make a bridge after the monsoon so that people can reach Kangan Ghat without any problem. Instructions have also been issued to the water resources department to clear the stagnant water from Bypass before October 10 so that work on the tent city can start. As we need 50 acres for the tent city, officials concerned have been asked to take the consent of farmers and provide them compensation for their land,' said Agarwal.
The tent city will be constructed to provide accommodation and hospitality services to devotees spread across the Patna City area. All possible arrangements, including food and shelter, will be made in the tent city.
Apart from the tourism department which is the nodal agency for the event, the other departments involved include health, energy, road construction, public health and engineering, urban development and water resources.
The Patna DM has asked traffic superintendent police P.K. Das to make a road map for the traffic in the city for the five-day event.
'Crowd monitoring and traffic management is the main concern during the festival and I have asked for a detailed plan. The deputy development commissioner has been asked to ensure repair and painting of the government schools apart from proper arrangement for water and toilets. Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been asked to repair all the streetlights in the Patna City area,' Agarwal said.
Prakash Utsav is being organised to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru.
Nitish had received appreciation from across India from the Sikh community and people had lauded the work of the Bihar government.
Last year, Patna had hosted the three-day International Sikh conclave at SK Memorial Hall in September in which Sikh leaders, dignitaries and scholars were present, including Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Asked if any special guest would be called for the concluding day programme, Agarwal said: 'As things stand now, the call would be taken by the state government and the tourism department. As a DM, I have just been informed to make the best arrangements for the guests and I am just doing my duty.'
