West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on Monday scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a bridge across the Muriganga River, connecting the Sagar Island, where the annual Gangasagar Mela is held, with the mainland, an official said.
The Rs 2,500-crore bridge, the contract for the construction of which has been awarded to a private firm and is expected to be completed in two years, will revolutionise the pilgrimage to Kapil Muni temple here, he said.
The temple, where the annual Gangasagar Mela is held, is situated in Sagar Island at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal.
The chief minister has been demanding that the annual fair, which is attended by lakhs of devotees from across the country and also from neighbouring nations such as Nepal, be declared a national fair by the central government.
She is also likely to visit the Kapil Muni temple and the Bharat Sevasram Sangha here on Monday.
The chief minister is also scheduled to take stock of the preparations for the fair during Makar Sankranti, the official said.
Pilgrims take a holy dip and offer prayers at the Kapil Muni temple situated at the confluence.
Many pilgrims have already started offering their obeisance at the temple to avoid the huge rush during Makar Sankranti.
The administration has taken massive infrastructural and security measures to ensure smooth conduct of the fair, the largest such event in West Bengal, the official added.
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