Bihar pulls out all the stops for ‘Prakash Utsav’

Bihar plans to spend over ₹1,500 crore on celebrations to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, who was born on the outskirts of Patna, and in hosting an estimated half a million pilgrims who are expected to visit the state between December 30 and January 8. The birth anniversary will be celebrated on January 5.

The occasion also coincides with the ‘Kalchakra’ initiation by the Dalai Lama at Bodh Gaya next week. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clearly wants to utilise the two occasions to remind people that the state has the unique distinction of being the birthplace of Gautam Buddha (albeit disputed by Nepal), Mahavira and Guru Gobind Singh, founders of three major religious orders.

The state government has pulled out all the stops, telling bureaucrats that the occasion be utilised to make a lasting impression on visitors. The Department of Tourism claims to have already spent Rs 70 crore in making arrangements. The Urban Development department has put up three tent cities in the state capital at an estimated cost of ₹50 crore while the Transport department has purchased 227 new buses to transport the pilgrims. As many as 238 dormitories have been set up with 15,000 beds.

A discordant note was struck by the state’s Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, who claimed that although the state had asked the Centre for funds, ‘not a penny had come from New Delhi’. He also pointed out that the Finance Minister had actually allocated ₹100 crore in the last Union Budget for the Prakash Utsav.

BJP leaders have been quick with their rebuttal. Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted that the allegation was misleading as Railways had spent ₹50 crore in renovating the Patna Sahib Railway Station for the occasion. The Centre also allotted ₹41 crore to the state government for repairing the approach roads and to beautify the ghats, the BJP pointed out.

Bihar’s ruling coalition has responded by pointing out that the sum of ₹100 crore was meant for the celebration and not for infrastructure.