Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 12 will visit Deoghar in Jharkhand and Patna for inauguration of the Deoghar airport and to participate in the concluding centenary celebrations of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
The Bihar Assembly Speaker said it would be a historic occasion as for the first time after Independence, a prime minister is scheduled to visit the Bihar Assembly premises.
The prime minister would first visit Deoghar in Jharkhand to inaugurate the newly constructed airport there and he would reach Patna at 6 pm.
“In October, the President of India had attended the centenary functions of Bihar Assembly, while in February the Lok Sabha Speaker had addressed the legislators. Narendra Modi will be the first PM to visit the premises and that makes it a historic event for the Bihar Legislative Assembly,” Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha told journalists.
During the event, he will unveil the 40-feet high Shatabdi Stambh (centenary column) built in front of the Assembly. President Ram Nath Kovind had laid the foundation of the Shatabdi Stambh during his Bihar visit last year as part of the centenary celebrations.
“The Shatabdi Stambh has a 25-feet octagonal concrete structure with sandstones. Above it will be a 15-feet Bodhi Vriksha (Bodhi tree) model made of bronze, same as the one preserved in the Parliament museum as a memento of Bihar. It will have 243 leaves symbolizing the strength of the Assembly and another 75 leaves marking the strength of the Council. Besides, it will have four a njeer (fig) garlands hanging from the stems and symbols of Swastik on all four sides. The nine stems of the Bodhi tree will denote nine divisions of the State, while smaller leaves will signify districts”, the Speaker said.
Mr. Modi is also scheduled to plant a Kalpatru tree sapling and open the Centenary Memorial Garden, which will have 100 varieties of medicinal plants. During his over one-hour stay at the Assembly premises, the prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Museum which will showcase the glorious 100-year journey of the House. Besides, the PM will inaugurate the Assembly guest house and release a book on the rich legacy of the House, the Speaker elaborated.
A sprawling makeshift venue with a capacity to hold over 1,700 guests has been constructed on the grounds of the Assembly for the function. Present and former members of the Bihar Legislature as well Members of Parliament from the State, district board chairmen and vice-chairmen and Padma awardees from the State have been invited for the event.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made around the Assembly area with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police all being seen on Monday engaging in last-minute security preparations, along with Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel.
