Delhi govt allocates Rs 25 crore for Chhath Puja

NEW DELHI, (PTI): The Delhi government has made grand preparations for Chhath Puja at 1,100 sites and allocated Rs 25 crore for the festival, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

Chhath will be celebrated on October 30 and 31. Kejriwal said Chhath would be celebrated on a grand scale after people were stuck at home for two years due to COVID-19.

”For the last two years, the festivities were affected by the pandemic,” he said. The Delhi chief minister also urged people to wear masks and observe all safety protocols while celebrating.

”Please remember that even though the intensity of Covid spread has decreased and fines have been withdrawn, Covid is still out there. Please wear a mask when you set out to celebrate. Our health is our own responsibility, we must ensure that we don’t fall sick due to oversight,” Kejriwal said.

During a digital briefing, Kejriwal also spoke about how the festival had grown since the formation of the AAP government in 2014.

”Due to the pandemic condition over the last two years, the Delhi government could not take up large-scale preparations for community Chhath celebrations and a lot of people had to celebrate at home. However, since we have come to power, we have taken Chhath celebrations to a grand level in Delhi,” Kejriwal said.

Claiming that before Chhath was a mere formality for the Delhi government before the AAP assumed charge, he said there were barely 69 sites where Chhath was celebrated in 2014. ”The government back then spent a mere Rs 2.5 crore. But now, we will celebrate Chhath at a very large scale across 1,100 sites. The Delhi government will bear all the cost of this celebration and we have earmarked Rs 25 crore for the purpose,” he added. Kejriwal also assured people that the government had taken care of their emotions and made some special preparations for the celebrations.

”Among our core responsibilities, we have prioritized safety and security of every citizen. To make this possible, we will take the help of Delhi Police and install CCTVs all around our Chhath Ghats. ”Besides this, like usual, we will make arrangements for drinking water, sanitation, toilets, ambulances, first-aid, tents, furniture, sound systems, lighting, LED screens, among others. Even though Delhi enjoys a 24×7 power supply, we will arrange power backup at all sites to ensure there is not a single hiccup in the festivities due to any fault or error,” he said.

The chief minister also appealed to the people to not just seek blessings for themselves and their families, but also keep the nation and society in their prayers. ”Please pray for the wellbeing, prosperity, and development of the nation. Please pray to Chhathi Maiyya to protect us all and bring us freedom from corona,” he said.

Chhath, celebrated after Diwali, involves the offering of ”arghya” by fasting women to the Sun god in knee-deep water. The festival is hugely popular among Purvanchalis living in Delhi.(PTI)