Preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to state capital Shimla on May 31 were reviewed on Friday by the BJP-led Himachal Pradesh government.
Modi will be addressing beneficiaries of the Central government's schemes for 30 minutes and will also hold a roadshow ahead of the Assembly elections in November 2022.
The BJP is aiming to hold a rally of 50,000 people for the Prime Minister's visit.
As many as 22 BJP mandals have been given the job to mobilise people for the occasion.
State BJP General Secretary Trilok Jamwal told the media that it is a matter of pride for the state that Modi has chosen Shimla for the rally on the occasion of completion of eight years of the Union government.
"Himachal is the second home of our Prime Minister and he is always excited to visit it. The people of Himachal Pradesh are excited to welcome Modi on his visit," said Jamwal, who is also political adviser to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
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The Prime Minister will hold a virtual interaction with beneficiaries of 17 government schemes from all over the country for 30 minutes.
Jamwal said plans are underway for smooth traffic movement in Shimla during Modi's visit as there will be three entry points -- one for travelling towards upper Shimla, second from Solan to Sirmaur and the third towards Chandigarh.
The Prime Minister will hold a roadshow from the Central Telegraph Office to Ladies' Park followed by a rally at the historic Ridge.
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Meanwhile, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, a group of locals, has urged the Prime Minister's Office and the state government to shift the venue for Modi's rally from the Ridge to the Annadale ground in view of the sinking Ridge that has a British-era water tank beneath it.
"There's more than a 100-year-old water tank beneath the Ridge that supplies water to 40 per cent area of the city. The tank has started developing cracks since 2017. In 2020, the cracks got wider and had to be repaired. In the light of this incident, it would be dangerous to gather thousands of people at the Ridge," said Shimla Nagrik Sabha Convener Sanjay Chauhan, also a former Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation.
