LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK
Nashik, Feb 11
After the announcement made by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the inauguration of the State’s first air-conditioned bus stand, that provision will be made in the state’s budget for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela; the Simhastha work is gaining momentum. At present a plan worth Rs 11,000 crore has been prepared by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC).
Although there has been apathy at the ministry level for a while now, all the departments have become alert after Fadnavis's announcement. On Saturday, Fadnavis came to the city for the inauguration of the air-conditioned bus stand. During the programme, he said that if the plan for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela is prepared now, provision would be made for it in the July budget itself.
Simhastha Kumbh Mela is a milestone for the development of Nashik. It fills the backlog of the city's development for 12 years. Kumbh Mela will be held in the year 2027-28 and only three years are left for its preparation. After all the departments of NMC took up the task of preparing the Kumbh Mela plan in the first phase, the estimated cost came to around Rs 8000 crore. But land acquisition will have to be done for the internal ring road, and widening the old ring road and for this, it was expected that additional Rs 3000 crore would be needed.
At present, seeing the schedule of development works, the Simhastha plan has gone up to Rs 11000 crore.
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Ring roads will be developed
Separate plans have been prepared by 43 departments of the NMC. Earlier, the Simhastha Plan in 2015 was worth Rs 2300 crore. In this, various works were done in the city from Rs 1300 crore received by the state government and Rs 1000 crore by the NMC itself. This plan has increased five to six times, to Rs 11000 crore for 2027.
About one crore devotees are likely to come to Nashik along with the Sadhus and Mahants during the Simhastha. At present, 54 acres of land are under the possession of the Municipal Corporation. The remaining about 300 acres of land will be acquired on lease. Health and medical services will be provided in Sadhugram along with basic facilities like roads, water supply, drainage, and others. At the same time, the outer and inner ring roads of the city will be developed.
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New water channels will be laid in the newly developed localities along with a direct pipeline project from the Gangapur and Darna dams. New fire stations are proposed and new fire tenders and firefighting materials will be procured. A new hospital is proposed at Cidco. The hospital at Tapovan will get an additional floor. According to this, the proposed works of each department and the expenses incurred by them will be presented before the NMC Commissioner. As soon as the final plan is prepared, the draft plan of Simhastha will be submitted to the District Collector.