Fearing low turnout, Ch’garh Foundation Day function shifted to Old Raipur

Billions of rupees were spent by Chhattisgarh to build its new capital city called ‘Naya Raipur’ and to showcase that, the state BJP government had announced to organise all its important functions there. 

However, apprehension of thin attendance has forced the state regime to change its venue for the state Foundation Day celebration. A meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Vivek Kumar Dhand, has decided to hold the state Foundation Fay function ‘Rajyotshav-2016’ on November 1 in the Old Raipur, official sources told Millennium Post on Sunday.

Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh had with much funfare declared in 2012 that Foundation Day and other related ceremonies should be organised at the Naya Raipur, the billion dollar new capital city of Chhattisgarh.

Initially state government wanted its citizen to see the modern capital city and that were actually attracting visitors. Even during Foundation Day celebrations, free transport services were organised by the state government from the old capital to the Naya Raipur to ferry people as there was virtually negligible human habitation in the new capital area and lack of basic facilities. But the experiences last year were bad for the state as gradually the Naya Raipur failed to get audiences for its functions which forced the state government to bank on the old capital city.

“Instead of huge ceremony at Naya Raipur, this year the Foundation Day celebration will be held at indoor stadium in Budhapara locality of Old Raipur,” a senior state government official said. To a question, he confessed, the function failed to attract expected audience at the new capital because of which it was shifted to the old capital.