Ujjain, Feb 11 : As the arrangements for Simhastha 2028 will be extended to the rural areas of Ujjain, the state government has decided to involve gram panchayats to ensure better preparation.

The committee assigned for preparation has suggested that the involvement of panchayats would be crucial for smooth movement of pilgrims during Simhastha.

"The arrangements for Simhastha will be extended to the rural areas of Ujjain district, and hence, panchayat representatives will have a significant role to play," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a statement.

The Chief Minister further stated that Ujjain Janpad panchayat holds special importance for the movement of pilgrims during Simhastha, and the industrial belt is also present in this region.

Panchayat representatives should fulfil their duties with responsibility and sensitivity, and well-structured development activities should be conducted in the Janpad areas.

Chief Minister Yadav has asserted that an organised and successful hosting of Simhastha 2028 is the top priority of the state government.

The state government has kick-started the preparation for the largest congregation of Hindus once in 12 years in Ujjain with several key projects being announced in the past two months.

All the 13 Akharas of sants and seers will take a dip one after another, for which elaborate arrangements were made along the banks of the Shipra river.

The state government has estimated that more than 10 crore people are expected to visit Ujjain.

Last week, the Akhil Bharatiya Pujari Mahasangh urged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav not to allow VIPs in Ujjain's Simhastha mela and take lessons from the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh.

In a letter to the CM, Pujari Mahasangh chief Mahesh Pujari has suggested that a lesson should be learnt from the tragic stampede that occurred during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

He has suggested that the area of the Shipra River where the pilgrims will take a holy dip during the Simhastha, should be divided into several parts.

Separate pathways and ghats should be made for the priests of all 13 Akharas.

Last time, the Simhastha mela was organised between April 22 and May 21, 2016. It is celebrated on the bank of river Shipra and millions of people from across the world visit Ujjain on this occasion.

/IANS