Almora. A crucial meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Almora to make the upcoming Nanda Devi Fair grand and historic. The meeting was attended by officials from PWD, Jal Sansthan, Municipality, BSNL, Police Department, Fire Brigade, Electricity Department, along with representatives of the Trade Association and the Temple Committee.
The primary focus of the meeting was on security arrangements. Kotwal Upadhyay assured that the police would ensure tight security so that devotees and traders do not face any inconvenience. The municipal administration promised that roads would be repaired and electricity supply streamlined before the fair. The Fire Department also informed about the deployment of a special team for fire safety.
From the trade associations, Municipal President Ajay Verma, General Secretary Vakul Sah, Vice President Mukesh Dev, Dev Bhoomi Vyapar Mandal General Secretary Deep Joshi, Vice President Monu Gupta, Former President Prakash Joshi, Deep Sah, and Manohar Negi were present. From the Temple Committee, representatives including Manoj Verma, Manoj Sanwal, Kishan Gururani, Munna Verma, Tara Joshi, Anup Sah, Ravi Goyal, Arjun Bisht, Amarnath Negi, and Paritosh Joshi participated.
Several municipal councilors such as Kuldeep Mer, Naman Bisht, Pankaj Pargai, Dhananjay Sah, Abhishek Sah, Anil Sah, Nikita Tiwari, Geeta Mehra, Pushpa Sati, Anju Bisht, and Sanjay Joshi, along with other dignitaries, also shared their views.
It was decided in the meeting that 15 teams will participate in the traditional Jhora (folk dance) competition to make the fair more engaging. Special emphasis was also laid on involving people from rural areas. Participants unanimously agreed that Almora is currently facing a serious drug menace, and a mass awareness campaign will be run through the fair to curb this issue.
Fair convener Manoj Sanwal stated that this year’s Nanda Devi Fair will be peaceful, grand, and culturally enriching. He expressed confidence that with the joint efforts of the administration and public representatives, the event will turn into a historic celebration.
