The Maha Kumbh festival will begin in Prayagraj on Makar Sankranti (14th January 2024). The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is working hard to prepare for this grand Hindu event. From improving infrastructure to managing crowds, all tasks are being carried out quickly. The Yogi government has promised that the 2025 Maha Kumbh will be the most divine and extraordinary ever.
However, the opposition parties have criticized this mega event. Samajwadi Party MP from Faizabad, Awadhesh Kumar, claimed that organizing the Maha Kumbh is not a new achievement since it has also happened during their rule. He further alleged that corruption is taking place in this year’s Maha Kumbh preparations.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has also raised concerns about the arrangements, claiming that the preparations are incomplete. But he and his party seem to overlook the fact that 12 years ago, Kumbh was held in Prayagraj under their government, which faced global criticism for mismanagement.
But when we talk about Akhilesh’s contributions, the matter becomes different.
During his tenure as Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav had the chance to set an example with proper arrangements for the Kumbh, but he failed to do so. His government showed little interest in the festival. That period saw issues such as a deadly stampede, insufficient funding, and poor crowd management. Numerous irregularities occurred, which were exposed in a CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report, highlighting the failures of the Samajwadi Party government.
In 2013, during the Kumbh Mela, the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav chose Azam Khan to lead the Kumbh Mela committee. Azam Khan, however, showed little interest in this massive Hindu gathering. During 2013 Kumbh, a tragic stampede occurred at the Prayagraj railway station on February 10, 2013, resulting in the death of 42 people. This incident happened on Mauni Amavasya, a day when lakhs of devotees visited Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the Ganga.
A report later revealed that one of the main reasons for the stampede was the state government’s failure to arrange enough buses for the devotees. Following the incident, Azam Khan offered to resign, but Akhilesh Yadav rejected his resignation, treating it as a mere formality.
Two days after the tragedy, Akhilesh Yadav visited Prayagraj. However, he only drove around in a car and left without taking a holy dip in the Ganga. Ironically, Akhilesh Yadav, who is now criticizing the government for not installing wires on poles, had at that time urged people not to politicize the tragedy.
Talking further, the Kumbh Mela of 2013 faced several more issues, including incomplete work and mismanagement. The CAG later revealed shocking details about the poor organization of the event. According to the CAG report, all the preparations for the Kumbh were supposed to be completed by 30 November 2012. However, many tasks were still unfinished even as the fair began. The deadlines for these works were extended three times, but even by 14 January 2013, the start of the Kumbh, 59% of the infrastructure work remained incomplete.
For example, out of 111 road construction projects planned for the Kumbh, 65 were not completed even after the fair ended. Additionally, 4 projects worth ₹26 crores were not even started. Despite these failures, the Akhilesh Yadav government informed CAG in January 2013 that all work had been completed, which was later proven false by the audit.
The CAG also discovered that medicines, vehicles, and other essential supplies worth over ₹2 crores did not arrive before the fair began. Furthermore, Kumbh Mela funds were spent on projects unrelated to the event. These findings exposed the lack of preparation and mismanagement during Akhilesh Yadav’s government, even as he now criticizes current preparations for similar issues.
In 2013, ₹1152 crores were allocated for the Maha Kumbh, with ₹1141 crores from the central government. Despite this, ₹134 crores remained unspent, and ₹800 crores meant for Kumbh works were misused by the state government.
The CAG report exposed massive corruption, including fake worker payments, misuse of funds for bridge repairs, and incorrect vehicle registrations. The SP government spent only ₹10 crores from its own budget and mismanaged the rest.
Now, let’s address Congress’s criticism of the 2025 Kumbh by reminding them of the historical 1954 Kumbh Mela.
The 1954 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is remembered for the tragic stampede on Mauni Amavasya, February 3. Lakhs of devotees came to take a holy dip in the Ganga, but poor planning and bad arrangements caused confusion. Despite the large crowd, the event was not managed well, leading to a deadly stampede. Around 2000 people lost their lives in the disaster. The government’s failure to make proper preparations raised serious concerns about the Congress administration’s ability to handle such holy events.
On the other hand, the Yogi government is making dedicated efforts to ensure that this auspicious Kumbh is both spiritually enriching and convenient for the devotees.
Thia Maha Kumbh Mela is expected to attract 45 crore people, boosting local employment, trade, tourism, and regional development. The Kumbh provides the government an opportunity to improve infrastructure, which benefits the people and eases trade.
Yogi Adityanath’s government has planned over 500 projects for the event, with a total cost of ₹6,382 crore. These projects include widening roads, laying drinking water pipelines, running new buses, and building various infrastructure. More than 50,000 workers are working around the clock to develop Maha Kumbh City. Temporary four-lane steel bridges and railroad bridges are being constructed where necessary, and roads leading to Prayagraj are being expanded and improved.
Prayagraj is being given a unique makeover to attract pilgrims. The Prayagraj Development Authority has allocated ₹60 crore to beautify city walls and key intersections. This includes street art, murals, sculptures, landscaping, green belts, and traffic signs. The city’s walls will feature symbols of religion, spirituality, and culture, designed to communicate with visitors and highlight the city’s historic and cultural significance. These designs will cover about 10 lakh square feet of the city.
Also, the Maha Kumbh is expected to provide work for 45,000 families. Currently, 25,000 workers are employed, and 45,000 families have been trained under skill development programs for the event. The state government has set up over 2,000 paying guest facilities to accommodate pilgrims. In 2022, the government introduced a tourism policy to train 10 lakh people, many of whom will work during the Kumbh.
The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department has trained various service providers, including tour guides, drivers, sailors, and street vendors. Over 2,000 ferrymen have been trained to assist tourists and ensure their safety. Local women are also selling clay stoves to maintain food purity during the event. This training ensures that all service providers contribute to an enjoyable and culturally rich experience for the pilgrims.
Moreover, CM Yogi’s government is using the 2025 Maha Kumbh to promote Uttar Pradesh’s local products globally, following PM Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative. Each district will showcase a key product, such as Banarasi sarees, Moradabad brassware, Gorakhpur terracotta, and Banda Shajar stone items. This initiative aims to increase the international visibility and sales of these products, setting a new standard for ‘Vocal for Local’ in the state.
Lastly, The 2025 Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj is expected to draw 45 crore visitors from 75 countries, including 4 lakh from Europe and many Muslims from the Gulf. This will boost India’s foreign exchange and the economies of Uttar Pradesh and India.
In 2019, 24 crore devotees attended, including 25 lakh foreigners, and this number is expected to rise. Yogi Adityanath’s law and order reforms have made Uttar Pradesh a trusted destination, with 48 crore tourists visiting in 2023. By 2028, this number is projected to reach 85 crore, establishing a benchmark following the 2025 Kumbh.
What's Hot
Yogi’s 2025 Maha Kumbh: A Vision of Progress vs. Akhilesh and Congress’ Past Failures
The Maha Kumbh festival will begin in Prayagraj on Makar Sankranti (14th January 2024). The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is working hard to prepare for this grand Hindu event.
Related Posts
Add A Comment