Bengal likely to set up its first guest house in Puri

Kolkata: The Bengal government is going to have its own guest house in Puri soon. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to prepare a blueprint for setting up the guest house during her 2-day tour of Odisha between March 21 and 23.

Puri has always been one of the favourite destinations for the people in Bengal. Sources said that the Chief Minister had earlier urged the top brasses to explore avenues if a guest house can be set up in Puri.

A large number of people from the state go to Puri on a daily basis to offer Puja at Jagannath temple. State government has now come up with the idea of constructing its first guest house in Puri.

Banerjee is expected to create a blueprint for setting up the guest house, sources added. She may visit some places in Puri’s adjoining areas so that the state can acquire land for the project.

The Chief Minister may also give the final clearance for the project. Some PWD officials may also accompany the Chief Minister to Odisha.

Banerjee is expected to call on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during her two-day tour. She is slated to fly to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday evening.

After reaching Bhubaneswar she will stay there for a night on March 21. Banerjee on March 22 will visit Puri and offer Puja at the Jagannath temple. Before taking a return flight on March 23, Banerjee may hold a meeting with Patnaik who is the chief of Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Banerjee’s proposed visit has already sparked speculations in political circles over the emergence of an alliance at the national level to check the BJP in 2024. There has been speculation doing a round here in Kolkata that the Trinamool Congress chief may be instrumental in forging a grand alliance for the Lok Sabha elections next year without keeping Congress in the fray.

Banerjee has appeared as the face of the Opposition parties in the country after her party defeated the BJP hands-down during the last Assembly election in Bengal.

Incidentally, on Friday, Samajwadi Party chief and the Leader of the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Akhilesh Yadav met Banerjee which the political observers consider to be an interesting twist to the ongoing political developments in the country.