BJP and BJP-ruled states celebrating former PM Vajpayee’s birthday as Good Governance Day

New Delhi, Dec 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and at the states are celebrating birthday as the 'Good Governance Day' to pay homage to one of the best politicians and statesman that the country has ever produced. December 25 is the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who died this year.

But the capital city of Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow -- which was his karmbhoomi, the day is being celebrated in a very special fashion. The Uttar Pradesh government has planned a series of events from December 24 to 27 by social organisations, literary organisations, government departments, individuals and fan clubs in memory of former PM.

Deputy chief minister of the state Dinesh Sharma, who was once mayor of Lucknow, said that Vajpayee ji was the tallest leader of the country in the post-Gandhi and Nehru era. Every one in the capital city wants to pay tribute to the most beloved leader of the country by celebrating his birthday. He loved poetry and that's why the celebrations began with a kavi sammelan at the Scientific Convention Centre in Chowk.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma have been witnessed to the Kavi Sammelan and listen to poetry recited by Waseem Barelvi, Surendra Sharma, Sunil Jogi, Sarvesh Asthana, Alok Srivastava. A few literary functions in Vajpayee's memory have also been scheduled.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who was very close to the former Prime Minister, will lay foundation stones and dedicate projects worth more than Rs 200 crore for Lucknow at Kudia Ghat on his birthday. The projects involve construction of roads, drains and pipelines. Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, cabinet ministers Ashutosh Tandon, Brajesh Pathak and Rita Bahuguna Joshi will also be present on the occasion.

A shelter home at King George's Medical College (KGMU) for the stay of 180 patient attendants would be dedicated to the public by Rajnath Singh as well. It is constructed at a cost of Rs 9.60 crore donated by the Power Corporation of India from its CSR fund. The shelter home will have 180 beds along with arrangement of food for them.

Around 750 solar streetlights will be switched on in the city, the foundation stone for installation of 258 submersibles in different areas of the city for water supply would also be laid down. After that, 570 projects worth Rs 158 crore would either be launched or dedicated to public on the occasion. These would be financed from the MP fund and 14th Finance Commission. Union home minister is the MP from Lucknow, which was represented by Vajpayee as PM.

The foundation stone for a flyover from Kursi road to Tehripulia and a service lane from Kursi road to Faizabad road would be laid. Sanction for three more flyovers is also expected on December 25. Sources said that celebrations would continue till December 31.

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All the state capital the BJP-ruled state will have some or the other programme in the memory of the former Prime Minister. A BJP source said that the party does not want anything left to be done to pay the respect to its one of the tallest leader.