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Mahakumbh gets ₹2,100 cr boost from Centre; CM thanks PM
The Central government approved ₹2,100 crore for the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, with the first installment released ahead of PM Modi's visit.
The Central government has approved a special grant assistance of ₹2,100 crore for the Mahakumbh Mela set to commence in Prayagraj from January 13. The first installment of ₹1,050 crore was released on Tuesday.
The Centre’s big gift for the Mahakumbh preparations comes 10 days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Prayagraj to formally inaugurate the mega religious fair on December 13.
Welcoming the Central government assistance, chief minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on the social media platform X said, “Under the successful guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the double engine government is determined to make the world’s largest cultural and spiritual gathering ‘Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025’ divine and grand.”
“In this series, special grant-in-aid of ₹2,100 crore was approved by the Central government out of which the first instalment of ₹1,050 crore has been released today. This support from the Central government will help in realising a clean, safe and well organised Mahakumbh for the devotees,” he said.
Heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for this gift which helped in realising the concept of divine-grand-digital Mahakumbh, CM said.
A spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said, the state government has planned to spend ₹5,435.68 crore on organising the grand, divine and digital Mahakumbh. The fund will be spent by the government on 421 projects for the fair.
Till Tuesday, financial approval of ₹3,461.99 lakh has been issued by the state government. Apart from this, 125 projects worth ₹1,636 crore are being implemented by various departments, including Public Works Department, Housing and Urban Planning Department, Bridge Corporation, Tourism Department, Irrigation, Municipal Corporation Prayagraj, from the departmental budget head, he said.
For Mahakumbh, infrastructure facilities including railway overbridge, railway underbridge, strengthening and widening of roads, interlocking road including anti-erosion work along the river bank, construction of river front, theme based beautification of all the intersections, IT based monitoring and arrangement of clean drinking water for the devotees are being operated smoothly under the action plan to develop Prayagraj as the best smart city in coordination with Smart City and Prayagraj Development Authority.
Apart from the infrastructure facilities, high quality arrangements are being made for cleanliness and sanitation in coordination with Swachh Bharat Mission and municipal corporation, Prayagraj, he said.
To give more facilities to the visitors, various innovative experiments are being done such as the construction of Digital Kumbh Museum and Tourism Route Circuit (Prayagraj-Ayodhya-Varanasi-Vindhyachal-Chitrakoot). Under Mahakumbh 2025, excellent arrangements are being made for devotees, tourists and visitors, he said.
The fair will start with the traditional bathing festival of Paush Purnima on January 13, 2025 and conclude with the bathing festival of Magh Shivaratri on February 26.
The state government is working to develop Mahakumbh 2025 on the concept of divine Mahakumbh, grand Mahakumbh, clean Mahakumbh, safe Mahakumbh, digital Mahakumbh and green Mahakumbh.
