Patna, Dec. 7: Around 70 government schools will be taken over by the city administration to accommodate devotees and police personnel during Prakash Utsav in Patna.

Thousands of devotees from all over the world will be coming to Patna for the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh, keeping this in mind, the administration has made arrangements in 70 schools for their comfortable stay in the city.

The district education officer and other officials have been deployed to make the arrangements for the stay.

A series of events would be organised on the occasion from December 30 to January 8. The government schools will go on winter break from December 20 if the district magistrate announces it. The schools will reopen after the Prakash Utsav.

Ravi Bhushan Sahay, the district public relations officer, said: "The schools will be closed by mid-December and will resume academic activities by January second week."

For the Prakash Utsav, from basic amenities to security, everything would be provided to the devotees.

District education officer Medo Das said: "Around 90 per cent arrangements have already been made for the stay of devotees in 70 schools from Phulwarisharif to Patna City (there are 120 government schools on the stretch). We are monitoring the arrangements, including basic facilities, such as drinking water, sanitation, lighting, bed and bed sheets. Within 10 days, everything will be ready."

The capacity for the devotees' stay in the schools would be 30,000. "Around 1,000 rooms and 600 toilets have been furnished. Drinking water will be surely ensured," said Das.

All the school buildings were painted and the floors were scrubbed while in some schools additional toilets were constructed and public health and engineering department repaired the old ones, said Amarendra Kumar, the deputy development commissioner of Patna.

"The Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation is responsible for the furnishing work in the schools. There are around 30 selected government schools in Patna City and the Temple Management Committee of Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib asked the administration to provide accommodation to the devotees at the schools located there. It will be easy for the devotees to reach the temple," said Amarendra, who is also a nodal officer of the accommodation committee.

Patna division commissioner Anand Kishor said not only devotees but also the police force which will be deployed during the celebrations will stay in the schools.

"Forty schools will accommodate devotees, while others will be used by the police force that will maintain the law and order during the Prakash Utsav. Around 17,000 personnel will be staying in Patna. The administration will make arrangements for transportation like e-rickshaws and buses for the devotees. We will also make arrangements for the langar at the schools with the help of the temple management committee," said Kishor.