Modi, Japan PM to attend aarti in Kashi on December 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would accompany Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to Kashi on December 12. Both premiers would enjoy Ganga Aarti in the evening followed by a dinner hosted by Modi for Abe at a hotel.
Following intimation, senior district officials, including Nitin Ramesh Gokarn, DIG Varanasi Range SK Bhagat, district magistrate Rajmani Yadav and SSP Akash Kulhari, held a closed door meeting with subordinates at Vikas Bhavan on Sunday to discuss preparations.
The visit will be a challenge for district administration as it coincides with the counting of gram Pradhan (panchayat) elections. “Initially, external affairs ministry had informed about the Japanese PM’s visit. Later, the PMO informed that Modi too will be in Kashi the same day. Final itinerary of their visit is still awaited,” said the DM.
Modi and Abe are expected to land at LBS International Airport at 3.30 pm on December 12 and after attending events proposed in the initial itinerary they would depart for Delhi on the same night. The officials said that apart from arrangements required for the proposed visit of Modi and his Japanese counterpart, strategy for the final phase of panchayat election and counting were also discussed during the meeting.
In August 2014, Modi had visited Japan where he and Shinzo Abe had signed a Kashi-Kyoto pact to develop Kashi as a smart city on the lines of Kyoto. After Modi’s Japan visit many delegations from Japan, including one led by deputy mayor of Kyoto, have visited Varanasi in the past few months. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), officials of Japanese embassy officials, academicians from Kyoto University had also visited Varanasi last week to review the status of projects on sewage, solid waste management, Ganga Action Plan and also the programme for environmental improvement.
Officials said whether Modi will make any major announcement during his stay here would become clear on the arrival of the final itinerary only.
SOURCE: PTI