Minister of State for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, Krishna Gaur, visited the Ijtema venue at the village of Eintkhedi on Thursday, even as scores of volunteers participated in preparations for the four-day 'Aalami Tablighi Ijtema' that starts on November 29.
MoS Gaur, who holds independent charge of the ministry, later directed officials of various civic departments to ensure that all necessary arrangements are completed well within time.
Speaking to people, Gaur likened the Bhopal Ijtema—one of the largest Muslim congregations in the world—to the Maha Kumbh during her review of preparations. She said that both the government and the district administration are making tireless efforts to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the devotees attending the event.
She further emphasised that the aim is for all participants to be able to attend the event with ease and return to their respective homes, regions, and countries safely and securely.
Gaur also inspected the security arrangements to be implemented by the police. She emphasised that the aim is for all attendees to participate comfortably in the event and return safely to their homes, regions, and countries.
Gaur conducted department-wise review of tasks and observed that there was insufficient progress in construction of various roads connecting the venue at Eintkhedi and the internal roads of the event site. She instructed Officials to ensure that all necessary arrangements are completed within the next week.
She discussed various aspects with different officials, including parking, parking ramps, electricity supply, drinking water, medical facilities, security, and cleanliness.
She noted that nearly 25,000 volunteers work round-the-clock to ensure the success of the annual event. The MoS said this year the Ijtima Committee has banned single-user plastics from the event venue and also made arrangements for minimising waste by recycling and composting.
Berasia legislator Vishnu Khatri, Additional Chief Secretary Ajit Kesari, Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pramod Kumar Sinha, Ijtima Committee members Umar Hafeez Khan, Arif Gauhar Khan, Mukhtar Uddin, and department heads from the district were present on the occasion.Notably, this is the first time in the 77-year history of the event, a woman is actively involved in its preparations.
Gaur’s involvement is seen as a new beginning, with expectations of better implementation of the event. Traditionally, during the Ijtema, women's participation has been restricted due to the practice of veiling in Islam.During Lalita Yadav's term at the Minority Welfare Department, then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan used to personally oversee preparations for the Ijtema.
