Birbhum, 29 August (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced several measures for the upcoming Kaushiki Amavasya celebrations at Tarapith in Birbhum district, including plans for affordable accommodation for devotees and tourists.

After offering prayers at the Tarapith temple, the Chief Minister attended an administrative meeting in Rampurhat, where he announced that the state government had sanctioned an additional Rs 5 crore to make the Kaushiki Amavasya celebrations more elaborate.

Adhikari said there would be no shortage of funds for the event and all concerned departments would work together to ensure proper arrangements.

The Chief Minister said flowers would be showered from a helicopter during the Kaushiki Amavasya celebrations.

Keeping in mind the convenience of devotees and tourists, he directed the district administration to prepare a plan for setting up a large tourist accommodation centre in Tarapith.

The proposed facility is aimed at providing affordable accommodation to middle-class and lower-middle-class families, allowing them to stay in Tarapith at a comparatively low cost.

He said the district administration would first prepare the detailed plan, following which the construction process would be initiated.

Adhikari also directed that repair work on all roads under the jurisdiction of municipal bodies, panchayats and the Public Works Department be completed by October 10.

The administrative meeting also discussed several other important projects, including Suri Medical College, Deocha-Pachami and railway-related works.

The state government has also announced special security and public assistance arrangements for Kaushiki Amavasya.

According to the Chief Minister, special assistance camps will be established at intervals of every five kilometres. These camps will include police booths and medical assistance facilities, along with performances by Baul artistes.

The arrangements are aimed at ensuring better assistance and safety for the large number of devotees expected to visit Tarapith during the festival.

The Chief Minister also referred to the recent fire incident in Tarapith and said special precautions would be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He expressed concern over practices in some hotels where doors are reportedly locked at night to prevent guests from going outside. He directed that such arrangements be changed immediately.

Adhikari warned that locking hotel doors at night could prove extremely dangerous in the event of a fire, as it could prevent guests from escaping quickly.

The government, he said, would focus on ensuring that Tarapith's tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure is safe, accessible and capable of handling the large crowds expected during Kaushiki Amavasya.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey