In a landmark move, the Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced the Mahakumbh area in Prayagraj as a new district. This decision, made on Sunday, resulted in the creation of the new Mahakumbh Mela district.
This decision has been taken to streamline the management and organization of the upcoming Kumbh Mela, ensuring the smooth conduct of the grand religious festival scheduled for January 2025.
The newly established district will be called Mahakumbh Mela. This measure has been implemented to efficiently oversee the special event of Kumbh Mela and to improve the management of administrative tasks.
The government order declares, 'I, Ravindra Kumar Mandad, District Magistrate, in compliance with the directions given in letter no. 3966/9-1-2024-408057 dated 25.11.2024, and exercising the powers granted under Section 2(d) of the Uttar Pradesh Prayagraj Mela Authority, Prayagraj Act, 2017, issue a notification designating Mahakumbh Mela district for the Mahakumbh 2025 event.'
The boundaries of the Mahakumbh Mela district will include the areas of the revenue villages listed in Annexure-I and the entire parade area.
The directive states that the Mela Officer of Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj will possess the powers of the Executive Magistrate, District Magistrate, and Additional District Magistrate as per Section-14(1) and other pertinent sections of the Indian Civil Defence Code, 2023.
Furthermore, they will possess all the powers of the District Magistrate under this Code or any other applicable law. By designating the Additional Collector, the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, under Section 12 of the U.P. Revenue Code (Amendment) Act, 2016 (U.P. Act No. 4, 2016) and other pertinent sections of the Act, 2006 (as amended), the Collector will be authorized to exercise all powers and fulfill all duties of the Collector in all types of matters.
This order is effective immediately. The upcoming Kumbh Mela, which occurs every 12 years, is set to start in Prayagraj on January 13 and end on February 26, 2025.