Bhopal, Apr 7 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday approved acquisition of 437 acres of land at Rs 590 crore to expand the Ujjain airstrip for handling large passenger aircraft, especially during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela and to cater to the devotees visiting the famous Mahakaleshwar temple.
Under the central government’s Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme, the necessary agreement and MoU have been executed between the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop and expand the government airstrip in Ujjain to operate Boeing and Airbus 320 aircraft, an official said.
The state cabinet approved the acquisition of 437.5 acres of land and an amount of Rs 590 crore for this project, the official said.
Ujjain is of great religious and tourism importance as it is home to Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the 12 jyotirlingas, and the Sandipani Ashram. The Simhastha Mahakumbh is also held in Ujjain, attracting a large number of devotees and tourists from distant areas, he said.
Industrial activity is rapidly increasing due to the Vikram Udyogpuri and other industrial areas. Additionally, Ujjain is an important and developing city in terms of agriculture and the service sector, so upgrading the airstrip is essential, he added.
Besides, the cabinet committee constituted for organising the mela held after a gap of every 12 years in Ujjain decided that all proposed works for the Simhastha 2028 must be completed by Diwali 2027, the official said.
The necessary officers and staff for the successful conduct of Simhastha, monitoring and review of development works, and information, education, and communication activities should be immediately recruited from the relevant departments.
Ensure adequate availability of officers and staff for the successful conduct of Simhastha. Intensive training should be initiated for various responsibilities related to the mela, he said.
All infrastructure-related work should be completed within the stipulated time frame with quality, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said while chairing the fifth meeting of the cabinet committee.
The cabinet committee approved 22 works worth Rs 2,923.84 crore.
CM Yadav said a third-party audit of the works being undertaken for Simhastha 2028 should be conducted to ensure quality and better financial management.
Buildings being constructed in various areas of Ujjain for Simhastha 2028 should be constructed in such a way that they are also useful for annual events held after Simhastha 2028. Similarly, roads should be constructed to facilitate easy access to Mahakal temple and other major pilgrimage sites in Ujjain, he said.
For the convenience of pilgrims coming to Ujjain from distant places, priority should be given to developing homestays, parking, and public facilities within a 100-kilometer radius of Ujjain, the CM added.
He also directed the construction of a separate bridge for pedestrian pilgrims over the Kshipra River. PTI MAS NP
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