Give Top Priority to Facilities for Devotees and Tourists at International Gita Mahotsav: Governor

New Delhi, October 29: Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, while chairing the 83rd meeting of the Governing Body of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB), appreciated the excellent arrangements made during last year’s International Gita Mahotsav. He said continuous efforts should be made to further streamline the festival and enhance the experience of devotees and tourists.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, MP Naveen Jindal, Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand Maharaj, MLA  Ashok Arora, Chief Secretary  Anurag Rastogi and several senior officers were present at the meeting.

The Governor said that a large number of devotees and tourists from India and abroad visit the International Gita Mahotsav. Therefore, transportation services and connectivity need to be further strengthened to ensure their convenience. He emphasised facilitating access to the fairgrounds, expanding bus services and providing better transportation facilities during the festival so that visitors do not face any inconvenience and can fully enjoy the event.

Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh urged the Board members and district administration to prioritise these arrangements through mutual coordination. He expressed confidence that better planning, coordinated efforts and continuous improvements would make this year’s International Gita Mahotsav more grand, well-organised and convenient for visitors.

Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh and Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini also launched the ‘Digital Heritage App’ and the ‘Kurukshetra Sarathi Mobile App’.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the International Gita Jayanti celebrations would be organised in Kurukshetra from December 5 to 25. Several religious, spiritual and cultural programmes would be held during this period. An awareness campaign would begin on December 2 and cover 182 pilgrimage sites located in the 48-kos region. In addition, a procession would be taken out from Pipli on December 4. Along with the Bhagwat Katha and Gita conferences, an exhibition would also be organised to mark the completion of 60 years of Haryana’s formation. Programmes for academicians would also be held, along with activities aimed at instilling values and building strong character among young people.

The Chief Minister said that West Bengal and Delhi would participate as partner states this year. ISRO, the Navy, the Air Force and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) would also participate in the exhibition organised during International Gita Jayanti. A crafts fair and a Gita book fair would also be organised, featuring renowned artisans from across the world.

He said that Gita Jayanti celebrations would be held at the district level from December 18 to 20. During this period, Gita recitation programmes would be organised in temples in every village of the state. Students from all Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country would also be encouraged to participate.

Reviewing pending development works, the Chief Minister directed the formation of a joint committee comprising the Deputy Commissioner of Kurukshetra and his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), B.B. Bharti. The committee would audit and examine these works and submit a report. He said strict action would be taken against those found responsible for any irregularities. He added that development works would now be undertaken by the Kurukshetra Development Board itself instead of being carried out by different departments separately.

He said that a 90-room guest house would be constructed on 6.5 acres of land at Brahma Sarovar at a cost of Rs. 120 crore. A Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh Gate would be built at Purushottampura. In addition, the ancient Draupadi Koop would be renovated in accordance with the recommendations of the Archaeology Department. Brahma Sarovar would also be beautified with peacock-feather-shaped lights and tiles. An entrance gate and a Gita Pillar would be constructed at Jyotisar.

The Chief Minister said that the master plan for Saraswati Tirth at Pehowa had been prepared. A parikrama route covering more than two kilometres would be developed there. Eleven roundabouts in Kurukshetra would be renovated and beautified, and tenders for these works had already been issued. In addition, 12 sites were being surveyed. Following this, the number of pilgrimage sites under the Board would increase to 194.

He said a month-long cleanliness drive should be conducted in the KDB area before International Gita Jayanti to keep it clean and attractive. Cleanliness boxes should also be installed at various locations to prevent littering anywhere in the festival grounds. A dedicated sanitation force should be established for this purpose. Spiritual activities should be organised daily at all pilgrimage sites, while transportation and traffic facilities should be strengthened to ensure smooth movement of visitors.

The Chief Minister said that pilgrimage sites demonstrating excellent and commendable work would be honoured during Gita Jayanti and also awarded cash prizes. Meetings of the KDB should be held every three months to review and closely monitor development works in detail.

He further said that efforts should be made, in coordination with the KDB, to make pilgrimage sites self-reliant. All ponds would be beautified and renovated, with proper arrangements for boundary walls, footpaths, lighting and other facilities. All pilgrimage sites should be geo-fenced, and shade-providing trees should be planted there. Proposals should also be prepared for constructing halls where devotees could sit comfortably.

He said that the International Gita Jayanti celebrations had established Kurukshetra’s identity at the global level. Therefore, the city would be developed in all respects to ensure comprehensive and holistic growth.

KDB Member Secretary Dr. Amit Agrawal gave a detailed presentation on the plans prepared to make the International Gita Mahotsav grand and memorable. He briefed the meeting on the various programmes, arrangements and preparations for the festival. He said systematic efforts were being made to make the event more attractive and connect a larger number of people with the message of the Gita. Special attention was also being given to providing better facilities to devotees and tourists and ensuring the effective execution of all aspects of the event.

Additional Chief Secretaries  Sudhir Rajpal and A.K. Singh, Vijayendra Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary  K. Makarand Pandurang, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. Yashpal Yadav, Ajay Kumar, Director of the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department Dr. Aditya Dahiya, Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner  Vishram Meena, and other official and non-official members of the KDB were also present at the meeting.