Bengal govt renews demand for National Fair Status for Gangasagar Mela

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has once again urged the Centre to grant national fair status to the annual Gangasagar Mela, with State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ajay Poddar stating on Wednesday that the state remains hopeful of securing the recognition this year.

Poddar noted that several round-table discussions and high-level meetings have already been held with central authorities regarding the matter.

As part of the push to upgrade infrastructure for the event held in South 24 Parganas district, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has formally requested Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to extend rail connectivity directly to Gangasagar.

State government officials indicated that the BJP-led administration is determined to secure the national fair tag ahead of the upcoming congregation.

Alongside diplomatic efforts with the Centre, the state administration is preparing a record financial outlay for organising the fair, which draws lakhs of pilgrims every January.

Addressing key operational challenges, chiefly the provision of filtered drinking water to millions of visitors, the state is significantly scaling up allocations for the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department.

While Rs 125 crore was earmarked for the PHE sector last year, officials confirmed that the allocation will exceed that figure for the upcoming edition.

Expecting a record turnout, the state government is also undertaking an unprecedented spatial expansion of the coastal grounds at Sagar Island.

According to administrative sources, the fairgrounds are being expanded from the previous 12 lakh square feet to 18 lakh square feet, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, to facilitate smoother crowd management.

To accommodate the influx, additional bus terminals, helipads, and large-scale passenger dormitories are being constructed for overnight stays.

Confirming the increase in overall infrastructure spending, Minister Poddar remarked that a major overhaul of the site’s logistics is underway.

"A radical change is set to take place in the infrastructure sector at the Gangasagar Mela. The outline of this transformation will gradually become visible," he said.

Administrative officials added that the final financial outlay for the Public Works Department will be finalised incrementally based on ground-level assessments in the lead-up to the event in January.

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