Nirankari Samagam will be organized from 23 to 26 October at Bhodwal Majri, Panipat, Haryana. It is estimated that 12 to 15 lakh devotees will reach here. Arrangements for railway station, pandal, langar, medical, parking and security have been made.
Panipat: Preparations for the Nirankari Samagam to be organized in Bhodwal Majri, Haryana have reached the final stage. 12 to 15 lakh devotees from India and abroad are expected to attend this event which will run from 23rd to 26th October. For the convenience of the devotees, arrangements have been made for the deployment of volunteers, additional ticket counters, medical services, langar, drinking water and parking at the railway station. In view of the proposed strike of electricity employees, alternative arrangements have also been made.
Nirankari Samagam will run for four days in Panipat
Nirankari Samagam will be organized from 23 to 26 October at the spiritual place located at Bhodwal Majri in Panipat district of Haryana. Nirankari Mandal officials and volunteers are busy finalizing the preparations for the event. According to the estimates of railway officials, this time 12 to 15 lakh devotees can attend the gathering.
Devotees have started arriving from different parts of the country as well as from abroad. A large number of people are reaching Bhodwal Majri railway station by train. Volunteers have been deployed to assist the passengers in unloading their luggage and reaching the venue.
More than 200 Seva Dal soldiers and volunteers are on duty at the railway station. The station lift has been started. Apart from this, electricity, water, toilets and seating facilities have been provided in the platform and station premises. Tents have also been set up to keep the belongings of the devotees.
Special attention to security, railways and facilities of devotees
Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel are deployed for the security of the people attending the gathering. Preparations for medical services, langar, drinking water, electricity, lighting, parking and toilets at the venue have almost been completed. ATM and mobile network related facilities are also being installed in the campus.
To facilitate the movement of devotees, Railways plans to put 32 employees on duty from October 22 to 27. Along with the station, additional ticket counters will also be made in Nirankari Pandal, so that people do not face any problem in getting tickets.
In view of the possibility of arrival and return of a large number of devotees, the Railway Administration is paying special attention to crowd control, ticket availability and arrangements for boarding and de-boarding the trains.
Alternative arrangements amid strike of electricity workers
Amidst the preparations for the event, concerns regarding power supply have also come to light. According to the information, a three-day strike of electricity employees is proposed from 10 pm on October 22. In such a situation, there is a possibility that power supply will be affected during the event.
Nirankari Mandal has taken load of 2.5-2.5 MW power from Samalkha and Gannaur for the Samagam. Apart from this, big generators have also been installed to deal with the situation of power supply disruption. Electricity Corporation Executive Engineer MS Dhiman has already sent information in this regard to the administration and Nirankari Mandal officials.
Local businessmen also have hope from the conference
There has been an increase in demand among businessmen to set up temporary shops around the venue. Land owners have started vacating the fields adjacent to the premises to provide space for shops.
To set up a shop at the local level, space is being given on rent or contract for a period ranging from one week to ten days. According to the available information, the rent for a shop for seven to ten days has been kept at around Rs 12 thousand to Rs 15 thousand.
Local businessmen are hopeful of increase in business due to the arrival of large number of devotees. At the same time, the administration and organizing officials will face the challenge of maintaining the crowd, security, transportation and basic facilities smoothly for four days.