Varanasi gets budgetary push

LUCKNOW: The Rs 30-crore budgetary allocation for developing three news ghats in Varanasi stamped TOI report published on May 31 last. We had stated that the Samajwadi Party government had readied a plan to score over Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his constituency, Varanasi, by building three new ghats.
The proposed ghats - Lohiya, Rajnarayan and Malviya - would be built near Harishchandra ghat on the Ganga.This stretch passes through vacant lands and has many slum dwellings towards BHU. The then chief secretary Jaawed Usmani had even held deliberations with officials of urban development and planning to chalk out a blueprint.
PM Modi has big plans for Varanasi's makeover. A day after winning the landslide mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, he had pledged to clean the Ganga by 2019. Besides, he wants to bring a turnaround in the holy city by focussing on its infrastructure, heritage and tourism. The Central government has also announced to build 60 flyovers in the city.
The announcement, however, evoked a mixed response in the PM's constituency. Welcoming the budget sanction, environment scientist and expert member of National Ganga River Basin Authority, Prof BD Tripathi, said the state government should also take care of the Ganga and its conservation. "The chief minister should also call a meeting of the UP State Ganga Conservation Authority, which he heads, to discuss important issues related to the Ganga," Tripathi said.
Exporter and president of a social-cultural organisation, Ashok Kapoor, said the special grant shows Varanasi's elevated status after becoming the Prime Minister's constituency. "Any step for the city's development should be appreciated," he added.
Post LS election results, a tug-of-war has started between the Centre and the state over the high-profile constituency. Despite entire UP sweating under massive power cuts, the SP government issued directive for 24-hour supply in the city. With UP assembly elections due in 2017, the holy city is likely to get more attention and bounties in the coming months.
"The eastern UP (including Varanasi), which has potential to develop state's economy, needs more attention," said president of Ramnagar Industrial Association, RK Chowdhary.