UP govt sanctions Rs 5.8 million for Magh Mela
PRAYAGRAJ Finally the state government has sanctioned a budget of Rs 5.8 million (Rs 58 lakh) for organising the Magh Mela that will be held in January next year.
According to Magh Mela officer and city magistrate Rajnish Mishra, the state government after sending two separate proposals of budget in the past four months finally agreed on allocating Rs 5.8 million.
The mela administration earlier this week had started preparations for the event in the absence of a sanctioned budget as merely seven weeks were left for the same to commence in second week of January.
According to ADM (city) AK Kanaujia, who is also senior incharge of Magh Mela, preparations for the Magh Mela commenced earlier as barely few weeks were left for the mela to begin.
In view of the desire expressed by deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya to organise Magh Mela on the pattern of Mini Kumbh during the concluding ceremony of Kumbh Mela 2019 in March this year, the district administration had forwarded a budget proposal of Rs 1580 million a few months back which was returned by the state government. Later a revised budget for the mela of Rs 1260.64 million was forwarded to the government, which again was rejected due to the amount being excessive.