Varanasi, July 22: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed officials to provide better facilities for devotees visiting Kashi during the month of Shravan. On Monday, the Chief Minister held a review meeting with officials and public representatives at the Varanasi Circuit House auditorium to assess the arrangements for Shravan and the progress of development projects.
He emphasized that devotees should not face any difficulties. “Ensure stringent cleanliness across the entire city, including major Shivalayas, and provide adequate lighting and medical facilities in Shivalayas and crowded areas. Additionally, fool-proof traffic and security arrangements must be made,” he instructed.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to promptly address public issues, emphasizing the need for transparency, quality, and timeliness.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that all eligible individuals benefit from the government’s welfare schemes, stating that no eligible beneficiary should be left out.
Additionally, he instructed officials from the implementing agencies to complete ongoing projects with high standards of quality, urging them to run a campaign on a war footing to achieve this.
While reviewing the construction projects in Varanasi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed officials to commence the construction of the district’s medical college as soon as possible.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress in the construction of the 200-bed barracks in Ramnagar PAC and ordered that accountability be fixed for those responsible and the work be expedited.
He also emphasized the need to complete the pending works of the rural drinking water scheme swiftly, noting complaints about roads not being repaired after laying of pipes.
He instructed that responsibility be assigned to the concerned contractors and that 100% repair of affected roads be ensured. Additionally, he directed officials to ensure tine-bound progress in the construction of the International Cricket Stadium in Ganjari.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed that the issue of disrupted drinking water supply in Baragaon market, caused by a pump breakdown for the last two months, be resolved immediately. He also instructed that accountability be fixed for those responsible.
He issued strict instructions to prevent sewer overflows anywhere in the city, emphasizing that any complaints regarding this should be addressed promptly. Officers were advised to handle these issues with full sensitivity.
Addressing complaints about Electricity Department employees not answering phone calls, he instructed that such JE, AE, and SDO be identified and strict action be taken against them accordingly. Additionally, he directed the nomination of a nodal officer to oversee project monitoring.
CM Yogi Adityanath noted that Varanasi, being the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister, has seen development works worth approximately Rs 40,000 crores completed under his guidance.
Additionally, development projects valued at about Rs 12,000 crores are currently underway. He emphasized that while preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for these projects, the suggestions of local public representatives must be considered. He also directed that a nodal officer be appointed to monitor each project.
Quality disposal of complaints should be done
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for timely resolution of pending revenue cases, including those related to inheritance and measurements (paimaish), ensuring quality disposal of complaints.
He also directed that security systems be strengthened for the safety of women, traffic management, and tourism. Special attention was given to enhancing the image of the Development Authority and Municipal Corporation by improving their operational processes.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of simplifying and expediting the approval of building plans to provide convenience to the general public.
The Chief Minister instructed officers to conduct regular public hearings in their offices and address issues based on merit. He also directed that comprehensive preparations be made for the potential flood situation to ensure immediate relief can be provided.
The Chief Minister directed the Electricity Department to ensure electrical safety measures are in place for the Kanwar Yatra and its devotees.
Regarding paddy transplantation, he issued strict instructions to guarantee an uninterrupted electricity supply in the district and ensure adequate power for farmers.
For the Sawan Mela, he instructed the deployment of sufficient police force to ensure the safety of Kanwariyas and other devotees.
During the meeting, he reviewed the progress of Ring Road Phase 2, the widening and beautification of major roads, under-construction railway overbridges, buildings, and other projects, and ordered that these tasks be expedited.
Chief Minister also reviews the preparations for the Sawan Mela
The Chief Minister reviewed the preparations for the Sawan Mela. During the review, the Divisional Commissioner reported that this year, four new routes have been added, along with a total of six gates, to facilitate easier darshan for devotees.
He also mentioned that arrangements have been made for zig-zag barricading, as well as managing cleanliness, security, CCTV, fire fighting, drinking water, and toilets to control the crowd.
The Chief Minister sought information from District Magistrate S. Rajlingam about the preparations at other temples in Kashi during the Sawan month. The District Magistrate informed him that the Public Works Department has repaired the pits near the Markandeya Mahadev temple complex and that parking arrangements have been made.
The Chief Minister directed that proper arrangements be made for cleanliness, drinking water, toilets, and security at the temples located on the Panchkoshi Parikrama route.
He instructed the Municipal Commissioner to launch a special cleanliness campaign for the ghats and temples, and to ensure that Kashi becomes completely free from single-use plastics. The Panchayat Department was tasked with overseeing cleanliness outside the city.
Additionally, he emphasized the need for community cooperation to ensure proper food and accommodation arrangements for the Kanwariyas visiting during the month of Sawan.
The Chief Minister instructed the Chief Medical Officer to ensure adequate Health Department arrangements for the Kanwariyas and other devotees visiting the temple premises. He emphasized the need for a continuously active team of doctors.
In the meeting, Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal briefed the Chief Minister on various arrangements, including the deployment of police force for security, traffic management, and parking arrangements. The Chief Minister emphasized the need for proper counseling of security forces to ensure that devotees are treated well.
The meeting was attended by Labor and Employment Minister Anil Rajbhar, Minister of State for Stamp and Court Registration Fee (Independent Charge) Ravindra Jaiswal, Minister of State for AYUSH and Food Security (Independent Charge) Dr. Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu,’ Mayor Ashok Tiwari, MLCs Hansraj Vishwakarma and Dharmendra Rai, MLA Dr. Neelkanth Tiwari, Saurabh Srivastava, Dr. Awadhesh Singh, Sunil Patel, T Ram, Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal, Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, District Magistrate S. Rajlingam, MD of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. Shambhu Kumar, VC of VDA Pulkit Garg, Municipal Commissioner Akshat Verma, and various departmental officers.