State government creates powerful body to oversee Nashik Kumbh

The authority will be allowed to levy fees and service charges for activities it deems necessary in the interest of the Kumbh Mela

MUMBAI: The state government has promulgated an ordinance to set up a body with sweeping administrative and financial powers, for the management and implementation of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled to begin in Nashik next year.

Nashik, India - July 13, 2015 : Devotees take bath at Ram Kund on the eve of the flag hoisting of Kumbh Mela at in Nashik, India, on Monday, July 13, 2015. (Photo by Arijit Sen/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The authority will be allowed to levy fees and service charges for activities it deems necessary in the interest of the Kumbh Mela. It will also have the power to prosecute those guilty of obstructing or failing to cooperate with any officer or employee authorised by the authority. Also, no court will have the jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceeding against any action or order issued by the authority, among other things, the ordinance states.

The 22-member authority will be headed by the Nashik divisional commissioner.

The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority Ordinance, promulgated by the state urban development department on June 4, also allows for a committee of ministers to be set up to review the work of the authority from time to time.

The authority can also charge levies on business being conducted and other activities in the Kumbh Mela city, which will fall under its jurisdiction.

The money collected through the levies and fees will be deposited in a fund titled the ‘Kumbh Mela Fund’, which will be used for organising and managing the festival and allied activities, and any other purposes approved by the authority.

The ordinance also mandates the state government, all its departments, statutory bodies and corporations to transfer all the grants proposed for organising the Kumbh Mela to the fund.

Further, the authority has been given powers to punish those who are either found obstructing or failing to comply with the directions of the authority. Punishment would be a jail term which can be extended up to one year or fine or both.

While KH Govinda Raj, principal secretary, urban development department, did not respond to calls and text messages from HT, the ordinance clarified that the law has been enacted on the lines of similar legislations introduced by the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, for the management and organisation of the Kumbh Mela.

In a review held recently, the state decided that the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar would be observed for over 21 months, between October 2026 and July 2028. It has also floated bids for infrastructure works of over ₹4,000 crore, while further works of ₹2,000 crore are in the pipeline for the once-in-12-years religious festival.