Kashi not to have mini-PMO: Minister

Union tourism minister Shripad Naik on Saturday officially confirmed there would be no mini-PMO in Varanasi, the high-profile Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After Modi took charge as the PM, quitting the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat and retaining Varanasi, a section of the media had reported that a mini-prime minister’s office (PMO) would be opened in Varanasi.

Hindustan Times, however, has always contradicted reports of the opening of a mini-PMO in Varanasi.

On Saturday, the tourism minister, who was in the city to attend a conference of tour operators and guides, rubbished reports of a plan to open the mini-PMO in Varanasi. “There will be no mini-PMO in Varanasi. The city will have an MP’s office just like other MPs have in their constituencies,” Naik said.

The Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and the district magistrate of Varanasi have received a letter from the Prime

HINDUSTAN TIMES, HOWEVER, HAS ALWAYS CONTRADICTED REPORTS OF THE OPENING OF A MINI-PMO IN VARANASI

Minister’s office instructing them to carry out development of Varanasi on the guidelines issued by the prime minister himself. A copy of the letter signed by AK Sharma, joint secretary in the prime minister’s office, has also been sent to mayor Ram Gopal Mohle.

Recently, the PM conducted a meeting at his office in which all three BJP MLAs of Varanasi, the mayor and other senior leaders of the party were present. During the meeting, Mohle raised the issue of development of Kashi on the vision document prepared by the prime minister for the city. The PMO has also instructed chief secretary Alok Ranjan and Varanasi district magistrate Pranjal Yadav to apprise the PMO regularly of the status of development projects executed in Varanasi.