Dehradun:
The Uttarakhand government has stepped up preparations for Kumbh Mela 2027, signaling faster execution and tighter coordination across departments. A high-level committee (HPC) meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan was held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, where multiple proposals related to the mega event were reviewed and approved.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed that all pending Government Orders (GOs) be issued immediately to avoid delays in project execution. Emphasizing faster decision-making, he also called for delegation of powers for approving smaller, temporary works. He stated that temporary works costing up to ₹1 crore will be recommended by a committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner.
Giving priority to key religious sites, the Chief Secretary instructed officials to begin work on Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi temple-related projects at the earliest. He stressed that all works should be taken up based on urgency and importance.
On infrastructure and logistical arrangements, strict instructions were issued to initiate the bidding process for empanelment of agencies responsible for tents, barricading, and other essential services. All departmental secretaries and heads were directed to expedite actions at their respective levels.
To ensure transparency and quality, the Chief Secretary also ordered the early deployment of an audit team for Kumbh-related works. The Information, Tourism, and Culture departments have been asked to present their detailed action plans in the next HPC meeting, while the Mela Officer has been directed to prepare a comprehensive plan for cultural programs during the event.
Traffic management was also a key focus area. The Chief Secretary instructed officials to prepare and submit a plan at the earliest to address congestion in the Kankhal area. He further directed that all ongoing construction works must be completed by October 2026 and emphasized setting clear priorities for timely execution.
Mela Officer Sonika informed the committee that a total of 33 projects worth ₹191.30 crore are being undertaken by various departments. Out of these, work has already commenced on 31 projects, while the remaining two are currently under the tendering process. She assured that all projects will be completed within the stipulated deadline of October 2026.
The Chief Secretary also stressed continuous monitoring of all works and instructed both the Mela Officer and departmental secretaries to regularly track progress. It has been made mandatory to present progress reports in every committee meeting.
Senior officials, including Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli, Nitesh Kumar Jha, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, C. Ravishankar, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, and Vinod Kumar Suman, were present at the meeting.
