Mahakumbh-2025: ₹23.48 cr sanctioned to spruce up 12 mela area roads in Prayagraj
The U.P. govt has also released over ₹17.43 crore, amounting to around 74% of the total cost, as the first instalment to start the works, say district officials
The Uttar Pradesh government has sanctioned a total budget of over ₹23.48 crore for the widening of a dozen roads in the vicinity of the mela area where Mahakumbh-2025 will be organised. The government has also released over ₹17.43 crore, amounting to around 74% of the total cost, as the first instalment to start the works, say district officials while confirming the development.
The move makes plain that developing the mela area is a priority for the government as part of hosting the mega religious fair in a grand manner. The state government had recently sanctioned a budget of over ₹32.63 crore and released ₹13.22 crore as the first instalment to spruce up another four roads of mela area just a week back, they added.
“With the latest budget sanction, funds for widening and sprucing up key roads of the mela area have been approved and first instalments released. The work of widening all the 16 roads of the mela area here will be done by the Allahabad Cantonment Board. This budget will be transferred by the public works department to the Cantonment Board for the mission,” said Mahakumbh mela Adhikari Vijay Kiran Anand.
Officials said this time new roads will also be constructed to help pilgrims and tourists reach the mela area. As part of the initiative, a link road is being constructed from GT Road to Kali Marg near Patel Sansthan and for it the entire instalment of over ₹1.52 crore has been released together. Construction of a road from Alopibagh flyover to Kali Marg via PWD store too would be undertaken and for which over ₹1.91 crore has been released.
Likewise, over ₹1.75 crore has been released for widening of the road from Harshvardhan intersection to Jawaharlal Nehru Road, ₹60.51 lakh for widening and construction of the VIP Ghat interlocking road, ₹69.51 lakh for construction of interlocking road from Yamuna Patti to Akshayvat Marg.
Besides, over ₹1.58 crore has been released for interlocking on Lal Road, over ₹1.82 crore for widening of interlocked road of Sangam return route and over ₹1.44 crore for interlocking and widening of Jagdish ramp. However, the budget for some remaining roads would be released in different instalments.
On Friday, the first instalment of ₹1.77 crore of the total sanctioned budget of over ₹3.53 crore was released for widening of Talab Naval Rai interlocked road, ₹1.85 crore as first instalment out of the total sanctioned budget over ₹3.69 crore for new construction of Triveni Marg (Jagannath Temple) interlocked road to Bangar Dharamshala.
Likewise, ₹1.20 crore out of the total sanctioned over ₹2.39 crore has been released as the first instalment for the construction of Yamuna Patti interlocking road and the first instalment of over ₹1.25 crore out of the total sanctioned budget of over ₹2.51 crore for the widening of Akshayavat interlocking road has been released.
Three pucca ghats will be constructed for the benefit of the pilgrims before the formal start of Mahakumbh-2025. For this, flood area land on these ghats would be acquired first. The state government on Friday approved over ₹34.55 crore for the needed land and using which a total of 11,754 sq mts of land will be acquired. The irrigation department will undertake this work, officials said.
A 110-metre pucca ghat would be constructed at Dashashwamedh ghat in Daraganj and for the land an amount of over ₹28.22 crore has been sanctioned for acquiring 9,600 square metre of land. Likewise, 1650 square metre of land will be acquired for the construction of 30-metre concrete ghat at Nehru ghat near Saraswati ghat and for which over ₹4.85 crore has been sanctioned.
Besides, over ₹1.48 crore for 504 square metre land for construction of a 30-metre pucca ghat behind Ewing Christian College has been sanctioned. The irrigation department has been given permission to acquire the land for all three projects.
