CM Gehlot skips Chambal Riverfront inauguration in Kota citing 'unavoidable reasons'

The much-awaited Chambal Riverfront project in Kota was inaugurated on Tuesday by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cancelled his visit to the city due to unavoidable reasons.Gehlot, who was scheduled to inaugurate the Rs 1442-crore project, announced his decision on X at 2.28 am, after former BJP MLA Prahlad Gunjal alleged at a press conference on Monday that the riverfront was built in violation of the environmental rules.

The much-awaited Chambal Riverfront project in Kota was inaugurated on Tuesday by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cancelled his visit to the city due to ''unavoidable reasons''.

Gehlot, who was scheduled to inaugurate the Rs 1442-crore project, announced his decision on X at 2.28 am, after former BJP MLA Prahlad Gunjal alleged at a press conference on Monday that the riverfront was built in violation of the environmental rules. Joshi inaugurated the about three-km-long riverfront amid chanting of the Vedic mantras, tunes of Rajasthani folk songs and dance performances by folk artistes.

The inauguration was attended by several state ministers, including Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Shanti Dhariwal, who is also the MLA from Kota North, Education Minister B D Kalla, Health Minister Prasadilal Meena, and PWD Minister Bhajanlal Jatav. Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria, Higher Education Minister Rajendra Singh Yadav, Cooperative Minister Uday Lal Anjana, Industry Minister Shakuntla Rawat, Woman and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh and senior Congress leaders also attended the event. Chief Minister Gehlot posted on X, "Our senior fellow UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal has given a historic gift to Hadoti in the form of Kota Riverfront. Hadoti region is lagging behind in the field of tourism but this riverfront will prove to be a milestone in boosting tourism here and will write a new story for the development of Kota." "The inauguration was proposed by me on 12-13 September, for which I was eagerly waiting, but due to unavoidable reasons, I would not be able to attend the event on 12 September. The programs of September 13 will remain the same. Congratulations to all the Hadoti residents," he further said.

On Monday evening, former BJP MLA Gunjal claimed that the riverfront project violates various rulings given by the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court. "The state government has violated rules. The project has covered two-three km of the buffer area of the Chambal sanctuary. There is a court order that no commercial activities will be allowed along wetlands/rivers but a huge commercial hub like a mall has been made in the name of Chambal Riverfront, which poses a serious threat to aquatic fauna," Gunjal alleged.

There was no reaction from Urban Improvement Trust of Kota, which carried out the project, regarding the allegations. During the inauguration, Joshi hoisted the national flag after visiting the 84-pillar canopy. Appreciating the riverfront, the Rajasthan speaker said other MLAs and public representatives should get inspiration from Shanti Dhariwal and carry out similar developmental works in their areas. Featuring a 42-metre high Chambal Mata statue of around 1,500 marble pieces imported from Vietnam, the riverfront stretches over 2.7 kilometers on both banks with 27 ghats and is stated to be a significant part of the Kota model of development that UDH Minister Dhariwal claimed would be the role model for urban development in the world. On the occasion, an Army band played national tunes on the Vishwamaitri Ghat. Each of the 27 ghats of the riverfront is characterised by special features with statues of various incarnations of deities and the world's ''largest bell'' on the Bhram Ghat, the sound of which would be audible in eight-kilometre radius.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)