Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday inaugurated India’s longest rubber dam ‘Gayaji Dam’ on the Falgu river and steel foot over bridge for the convenience of visitors who visit during Pitripaksha Mela to pay homage to their ancestors.
This function comes a day after Kumar arrived from the national Capital where he had gone to meet leaders of opposition parties.
“The meeting with leaders of opposition parties was good in Delhi. It is the beginning of the initiative for a larger plan and it will continue. I am not a candidate for any post. My focus is on bringing all the opposition parties together, as that can make the difference in 2024,” he told mediapersons before going to Gaya.
Keeping in view of the religious beliefs associated with the place, Kumar had proposed the name ‘Gayaji Dam’.
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“It is a place of salvation. I am happy the dam has been completed ahead of its deadline and before the Pitripaksha Mela, starting Friday. Now, the second major step will be to ensure Ganga water in Gaya and store it here all through the year. Ganga water has reached up to Rajgir and it should reach Gaya by year-end,” he added, thanking water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha and his team for completing the project, the foundation stone for which was laid on September 22, 2020, despite Covid disruptions.
With the rubber dam on the Falgu River, which is a vast stretch of sand dunes, it will draw more pilgrims and change the landscape.
“The dam has been built at an estimated cost of ₹324crore. Experts from IIT (Roorkee) were involved with the project. There will be enough water in the dam round the year for the convenience of pilgrims,” he added.
Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said the rubber dam, which presents a picturesque site, was a manifestation of the CM’s vision.
“Under Nitish Kumar, the Grand Alliance (GA) government will strive to live up to people’s expectations. The CM has directed all the departments to work on the job front. We are here to address all your issues,” he added.
Responding to former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s remarks that he would like to address Nitish Kumar as PM so that Tejashwi Prasad Yadav could be the CM, the deputy CM said he had enough responsibilities and did not have any interest beyond that.
“Nitish Kumar has been serving Bihar for years and he will keep doing so. We will extend our cooperation to him. There is no confusion about that. We are not into rhetoric. Those who came to power in 2014 had promised interlinking of rivers, turning Benaras into Kyoto and jobs, but have nothing to show. We believe in action. The rubber dam speaks volumes of the vision and commitment of Nitish Kumar, “he added.
Finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said Nitish Kumar had demonstrated the Hindi phrase ‘ulti Ganga bahana’ (to do the improbable) by not just visualising the rubber dam, but also making it a reality ahead of time for the benefit of lakhs of pilgrims and Gaya.
“Now, he is also working to bring Ganga water to the arid regions,” he added.
