Scale Of Chhath Celebrations Will Be Unprecedented This Year: Delhi minister

Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot on Friday said the scale of Chhath celebrations in Delhi this year will be "unprecedented", and claimed that the budget for conducting the festival has increased by 10 times from Rs 2.5 crore in 2014. 

Gahlot held a meeting to review the preparedness of Chhath puja festival in Delhi. The minister directed officials to ensure that devotees do not face any inconvenience and ensure smooth management and conduct of the festival at 1,100 Chhath Puja sites in Delhi.

Chhath, celebrated after Diwali, involves offering of "Arghya" by fasting women to the Sun god in knee-deep water."Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, we are committed to ensure grand celebration of Chhath in Delhi. 

"This year, the scale of the celebration would be unprecedented. We are ready with appropriate arrangements to ensure smooth execution in a safe and secure manner all over Delhi," he said in a statement.

Gahlot said the popularity of the festival has grown tremendously all over the globe, especially in Delhi. "We have increased the number of celebration sites by 15 times from 69 in 2014 to 1,100 this year and the budget by 10 times from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 25 crore," he added.

The meeting was attended by Burari MLA Sanjiv Jha, Divisional Commissioner and all the District Magistrates in Delhi. In Delhi, the Revenue department is the nodal department for Chhath Puja. 

The department will make necessary arrangements for tentage and electrical items at 1,100 puja sites, the statement said. 

It will also ensure other required facilities in coordination with other Delhi government departments that include Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for clean water arrangements, Health department for primary health services and deployment of ambulances, DUSIB for mobile toilet vans (MTVs) and Delhi Police for safety and security among others. 

(With PTI Inputs)