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Madhya Pradesh's trailblazer minister lays foundation stone of 2,551 projects in 8 hours
JABALPUR: In his blinding speed to beat the deadline before the poll code of conduct comes into force, Madhya Pradesh minister Gopal Bhargava laid the foundation of 2,551 projects in eight hours in one single day - a record-breaking feat by the minister, who can vie for a place in the Guinness. Never mind the projects may be stillborn, but Bhargava's exploit is not every neta's cup of tea.
The minister for social justice and rural development did the impossible in a hilarious string of rituals at his pocket borough Rehli in central Madhya Pradesh. He didn't go on a whistle-stop tour of his constituency. Rather he didn't move an inch from the small stadium he hired at Rehli for his foundation-laying spree. In total, 2,551 stones and plaques were collected and piled upon a podium. He spent just 5 minutes each, anointing every stone with vermillion and flowers amidst a cloud of incense and chanting of mantras by hired priests. And in eight hours flat, he dedicated 2,551 projects worth Rs 325 crores for the welfare of Madhya Pradesh. Villagers from 90 gram panchayats thronged the venue to attend the ceremony, which he termed as the 'samoohik shila poojan karyakram'. And Bhargava's supporters hailed the effort as a swift, innovative way to cut cost and save time.
"Imagine the colossal waste of public money, if mantriji had to go for shilapujan to 2551 places. The name of each village panchayat was called out. Volunteers stacked the plaques of every project on a platform. Twelve priests chanted shlokas as mantriji touched the stone slabs with sindoor and flowers and the foundations were laid," said RB Awasthi, an aide of the minister. The ritual was not over. The stones were religiously transported by volunteers and installed at the chosen sites. And Awasthi claims the minister has been receiving congratulatory calls from his cabinet colleagues.
The mega event could be prompted by other reasons too. In September 2008, his political rivals in Bhainswadi, a hamlet in his constituency, had vandalized 1,100 foundation stones which had his names inscribed. Bhargava rushed to the spot and promptly performed a re-installation ceremony with the help of priests. The opposition has called Bhargava's ritual a mere publicity stunt. Congress MLA Arunoday Chaubey said, "This is a cunning ploy to dupe people before the model code of conduct comes into force. These projects will just be confined to stone slabs."
JABALPUR: In his blinding speed to beat the deadline before the poll code of conduct comes into force, Madhya Pradesh minister Gopal Bhargava laid the foundation of 2,551 projects in eight hours in one single day - a record-breaking feat by the minister, who can vie for a place in the Guinness. Never mind the projects may be stillborn, but Bhargava's exploit is not every neta's cup of tea.
The minister for social justice and rural development did the impossible in a hilarious string of rituals at his pocket borough Rehli in central Madhya Pradesh. He didn't go on a whistle-stop tour of his constituency. Rather he didn't move an inch from the small stadium he hired at Rehli for his foundation-laying spree. In total, 2,551 stones and plaques were collected and piled upon a podium. He spent just 5 minutes each, anointing every stone with vermillion and flowers amidst a cloud of incense and chanting of mantras by hired priests. And in eight hours flat, he dedicated 2,551 projects worth Rs 325 crores for the welfare of Madhya Pradesh. Villagers from 90 gram panchayats thronged the venue to attend the ceremony, which he termed as the 'samoohik shila poojan karyakram'. And Bhargava's supporters hailed the effort as a swift, innovative way to cut cost and save time.
"Imagine the colossal waste of public money, if mantriji had to go for shilapujan to 2551 places. The name of each village panchayat was called out. Volunteers stacked the plaques of every project on a platform. Twelve priests chanted shlokas as mantriji touched the stone slabs with sindoor and flowers and the foundations were laid," said RB Awasthi, an aide of the minister. The ritual was not over. The stones were religiously transported by volunteers and installed at the chosen sites. And Awasthi claims the minister has been receiving congratulatory calls from his cabinet colleagues.
The mega event could be prompted by other reasons too. In September 2008, his political rivals in Bhainswadi, a hamlet in his constituency, had vandalized 1,100 foundation stones which had his names inscribed. Bhargava rushed to the spot and promptly performed a re-installation ceremony with the help of priests. The opposition has called Bhargava's ritual a mere publicity stunt. Congress MLA Arunoday Chaubey said, "This is a cunning ploy to dupe people before the model code of conduct comes into force. These projects will just be confined to stone slabs."
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