Fair deal

The much-awaited Permanent Mela Authority would be a reality soon, P.S. Chauhan reports:

Those who have been demanding the setting up of a PMA (Permanent Mela Authority) for Haridwar and Rishikesh have a reason to cheer. The special meeting of the council of ministers of the state held at Malviya

Dweep, Har-ki-Pauri, has decided to set up a Permanent Mela Authority for hosting the melas in Haridwar-Rishikesh region. Since 1986, when Haridwar district was carved out of Saharanpur district out of then undivided U.P., the citizens of Haridwar have been demanding the setting up of a Permanent Mela Authority to successfully host the melas which are held here round the year.

However, the then government of U.P. constituted Haridwar Development Authority (HDA) for the planned development of Haridwar and Rishikesh. But as HDA could not serve the purpose, thus there was a need to have a dedicated authority for the hassle free hosting of fairs. Even some political parties, social and cultural outfits, and the Vyapar Mandal, have been strongly advocating the setting up of a mechanism which may be entrusted with the responsibility of the planned and integrated development of Haridwar and Rishikesh and also of organising the fairs which are held here in 'God's plenty' every year. Besides the Kumbh and the Ardh Kumbh, which are held after every twelve and six years respectively, each year fairs like Kanwar Mela, Kartik Purnima, Somvati Amavasya, Baisakhi and the Urs at Piran Kaliyar, test the mettle of the district administration. At present, temporary mela authorities are set up for the holding of the Kumbh and the Ardh Kumbh, while the task of holding the other melas is left to the district administration with limited resources at its disposal. Mudit Parashar, a prominent businessman of Ranipur crossing, said "Each year nearly 36 big melas are held at Haridwar and the neighbouring holy town of Rishikesh. During these melas the entire attention of the civil and the police administration remains focussed on holding these melas and attending the VIPs. And in the process routine work of the police and the civil administration suffers. After the setting up of an autonomous and independent authority to hold the melas, the civil and the police administration will remain free to discharge their normal duties."Ashok Tripathi, a leading priest of the Ganga Sabha, echoes the same sentiments, "Hundreds of crores of rupees are earmarked for the Kumbh and the Ardh Kumbh every time. However, since this money was spent in haste as a result the quality of work is inferior. If the same amount is utilized with a vision then the mela preparations will be more effective and hosting these fairs will not be a pain. Also a better infrastructure will change the face of the region."

However, a prominent social activist and former M.L.A. from Haridwar, Ambrish Kumar sounds a note of warning, "The proposed Permanent Mela Authority should be kept free from political interference. Prominent social activists and intellectuals, who have a vision for planning and development, should be included in the proposed Mela Authority. If it is stuffed with leaders of the ruling political dispensation, it will meet the same fate as the existing HDA."The sources say that the Mela Authority, which is in the pipeline, will be a high power body, with huge funds and sufficient number of personnel at its disposal. The existing HDA is likely to be merged in the proposed Mela Authority and it will include the region from Piran Kaliyar to Haridwar and Rishikesh along with Neelkanth. It is likely to be headed by the state's chief minister, while its vice president may be nominated from the citizens of the region. The state urban development minister, Madan Kaushik says that the details of the proposed Mela Authority will be finalized soon.