Expressing dissatisfaction at the pace of works for the Kumbh Mela to be held in 2021 at Haridwar, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) president Narendra Giri said that the ABAP is planning to meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on this issue soon. Giri said this after meeting the state’s Urban Development minister Madan Kaushik, the Kumbh Mela officer Deepak Rawat and Kumbh Mela SSP Janmejay Khanduri on the weekend.The ABAP president had a talk with the cabinet minister at the Niranjani Akhada here on the weekend. Giri said that he had expressed his dissatisfaction to the Chief Minister regarding permanent works not starting in the Akhada.
In a telephonic conversation with this correspondent, the ABAP president said that permanent works have not been started in the Akhada by the Kumbh Mela administration so far while such permanent construction works were done by the respective state governments during the Ujjain and Prayagraj Kumbh Melas.
He further said that during the Haridwar Kumbh Mela if there are encroachments on the path used for the Peshwai of the Akhadas, the Akhada members will leave. The administration must remove all such encroachments on time, he stressed. Stating that about 10 months are left for the Kumbh Mela to be held in Haridwar during 2021, the ABAP president said that the pace of works is not satisfactory. The ABAP is planning to meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah so that necessary budgetary allocations can be released for the Kumbh Mela, he said.
Earlier, in the meeting with the minister and officials, Giri asked the officials to speed up the execution of construction works.
He also stressed on the need for necessary action to treat the instability of the ground at Mansa Devi to ensure the safety of the devotees and their convenience.