Ujjain’s preparations for Simhastha 2028 have moved into a deadline-driven phase, with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directing officials to secure pending approvals in November and complete 175 infrastructure works worth about Rs 20,000 crore within prescribed timelines.
Yadav issued the directions while reviewing preparations for the religious gathering in Ujjain. He ordered that the required officers and staff be posted at the Simhastha Mela Office, the Collectorate and the Simhastha Cell within a week. Each department has also been asked to create a dedicated team with adequate manpower.
According to divisional commissioner and Simhastha mela officer Asheesh Singh and collector Raushan Kumar Singh, the 175 works are scheduled across four completion windows. Fifty-one projects are due by December 2026, 36 between January and March 2027, 61 between April and June 2027, and the remaining 23 between July and October 2027.
Tenders have been issued for permanent works in the fair area. Yadav directed officials to open completed projects to the public immediately, rather than waiting for the entire programme of works to be finished. The direction places operational use, as well as construction, at the centre of the preparation schedule.
The review also focused on the movement of visitors and the pressure that the gathering is expected to place on roads leading to Ujjain’s ghats. Officials have been asked to prepare plans for traffic, parking, accommodation and movement based on expected devotee numbers. The tourism and police departments will jointly prepare a parking plan, while holding areas and tent cities are being explored in Ghattia, Tarana and nearby areas.
Farmers and social organisations will be encouraged to establish tent cities, and the home-stay network will be expanded. Nearby schools and colleges, including Sandipani schools along the routes, are to be identified for accommodation. These facilities will be provided with toilets, drinking water and necessary repairs.
Drinking water and sewerage works in the city and the fair area have been given priority. The administration will also develop domes along the Panchkroshi Yatra route as planned and hold coordination meetings with officials from neighbouring states.
Road widening and construction activity are expected to affect traders. Yadav directed officials to minimise inconvenience and rehabilitate affected traders through alternative markets. Plans are to be prepared for utensil and gold-silver traders, including a market modelled on Vikram Cloth Market, with Nazar Ali Mill, Kavelu Karkhana and nearby sites identified for consideration. Shopkeepers without alternative premises are also to be accommodated, while separate teams will expedite road-widening work.
The power-distribution system will receive a dedicated administrative structure, with a separate Simhastha division to be created in Paschim Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company. The next immediate steps are the deployment of staff, completion of pending approvals in November and continued implementation of works according to the published completion schedule.
