Khattar visits Brahma Sarovar, Jyotisar Tirtha

Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday reached Brahma Sarovar and Jyotisar Tirtha to review the arrangements made for the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav (IGM)-24 and projects at various Tirthas.

The union minister visited saras and craft fairs at Brahma Sarovar, interacted with visitors, artists, and craftsmen. He also took feedback regarding the facilities being provided to them by the government.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held a meeting with officials and members of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) and inquired about the development projects for 182 Tirthas under 48-kos land. The minister also held a discussion regarding the arrangements made for the International Gita Mahotsav and further increasing its grandeur.

The minister asked the board members to make efforts to associate big institutions of the country with International Gita Mahotsav so that it could get support under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. He also asked the officials to prepare a local pilgrimage circuit plan so that pilgrims can visit religious places of Kurukshetra.

Speaking to mediapersons, Khattar said: “We started celebrating International Gita Mahotsav in year 2016. Though the Mahotsav has started, main events will be organised from December 5 to 11. We held a meeting regarding the arrangements for the Mahotsav. Various stalls have been set-up and there is a good response from the visitors.”

“International Gita Mahotsav gives an opportunity to people to know about the cultural heritage. It has been previously held in Canada, Australia, Mauritius, London and Sri Lanka. The government has been making efforts to spread the teaching of Gita across the world,” he said.

Responding to a query, he said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target to make India a developed nation by 2047. A strong economy is essential for a developed nation. Power is crucial for progress, industries and employment. The demand of power is continuously increasing. To meet the demand, we have chalked out a plan and all states are ready to play their roles. We have been visiting all states to assess the progress of ongoing projects and discuss future planning so that there is no shortage of power in the country by 2047. While I have already visited 17 states, the remaining will be covered in the next three months.”

The minister later paid obeisance at Jyotisar Tirtha and also visited the under-construction Mahabharata-themed Jyotisar interpretation centre project. During the visit, the union minister directed the board officials to change the water of Jyotisar pond on a regular basis to improve cleanliness. He also inquired about the delay in the completion of the interpretation centre project.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sonu Bhatt, Chief Executive Officer of the Kurukshetra Development Board Pankaj Setia, honorary secretary Upender Singhal, chairman of 48-Kos Tirtha monitoring committee Madan Mohan Chhabra and several other board members and officials were present.