Lucknow: On the 96th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will launch Rs 14 crore worth development project in Vajpayee's ancestral village Bateshwar, in Agra district, on December 25.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the 'Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sanskriti Sankul Kendra' which will be a multi-purpose facility with an open theatre, library, a park with joy rides for children and other amenities.
Besides, high mast LED lights will be installed in the village.
According to Agra district magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh: "The Chief Minister will be laying the foundation of the development works in late Prime Minister's ancestral village on Friday. The construction of a convention centre will be done by Uttar Pradesh State Construction and Infrastructure Development Corporation (UPSCIDC). The centre will depict the legacy of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee."
Official sources said that around 3,500 sq. metres of land in Bateshwar has been approved for the cultural centre.
Located on Yamuna river bank and well connected with the main road, the centre will have a green cover. A modern library, theatre and playing space for children will be developed. All required arrangements have been made and the work is slated to be completed in two years.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had completed his primary education in Bateshwar.
Though his last visit to the village was in 1999, he always remained closely connected to the people of the village.
Vajpayee's nephew Ramesh said that the former prime minister used to play with his friends around Halaka Bagh and savour raw mangoes there.
"He was fond of swimming in the Yamuna. The primary school where Atal studied is on a lane passing through the market. As for his paternal house, all that remains is a wall along a two-metre-wide passage," said a village elder.
—IANS
