Nagpur: The Hazrat Baba Tajuddin Trust, Nagpur, has sought a Rs 224 crore grant for various development works under the Phase-II beautification drive on the eve of 101st Urs of the 20th century saint.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had held a review meeting with the trust and local authorities ahead of the annual festival at the dargah on Umred Road. The trust expects a footfall of around two lakh devotees between August 10 to 22.
Gadkari asked officials to start the new water tank before its inauguration to ensure that there is adequate water supply during the Urs. Lakhs of devotees from across the country are expected to attend the Urs starting from August 10
MLC Praveen Datke, Collector Vipin Itankar, Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhary, Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, Trust President Pyare Khan and others were present during the meeting.
Gadkari also instructed officials to ensure encroachment-free roads, good provision of drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, ample parking space, and maintenance of law and order.
This being the 101st year of the Urs, the organizers want to provide more facilities to the devotees, Khan said. Khan said that the Trust has proposed rehabilitation of slum-dwellers on 84-acre land of the dargah. “We have planned 195 homes for rehabilitation to be constructed by MHADA, five new malls, four gates and compound wall. Around Rs 1,200 crore will be needed for complete beautification and development of the shrine campus,” he said.
In the first phase, the Trust had received Rs 132 crore for carrying out various works. “One shopping mall, complete renovation of dargah, marble flooring, a chhoti dargah, compound wall of the fair ground and 14 shops were constructed in the first phase,” he said.
Khan said that the district authorities have cleared the Rs 224 crore proposal and forwarded it to the Chief Finance Secretary. “We are expecting to receive the funds in the next couple of months,” he said.
Khan added that the further plans involve construction of a school, hospital and accommodation facility for visitors to the dargah.
