Ganj crossing to be named after Atal

LUCKNOW : In what would be a befitting tribute to former the prime minister and five-time MP from Lucknow, the iconic Hazratganj crossing will be named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The decision has been taken by corporators who had assembled at the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) office on Sunday to pay tributes to Vajpayee, who died on August 16. “The LMC body has also decided to set up a huge park in the honour of former prime minister,” said Sanyukta Bhatia, mayor, Lucknow. “The park will have an open auditorium where literary events will be held on a regular basis,” said Bhatia. “I have already asked the municipal commissioner to identify a piece of land for the park,” she added.

“It will be planned keeping in view the interests of Vajpayee, who was also a great poet and journalist,” said Bhatia.

The LMC is also planning to set a library and an adda (space) where intellectuals, especially journalists, could assemble, discuss and debate on various subjects,” said Bhatia, while claiming that Vajpayee had attended LMC House in 1993 when he came to vote for its executive committee.

“Having been elected to the LMC house for the first time, I was awestruck to see the legend in front of me. He had called a meeting of all the corporators to discuss all what could be done for the betterment of the city,” said Sayyed Yawar Hussain ‘Reshu’, who was present in the house when the former prime minister came to vote.

“The mayor has proposed a few initiatives in memory of the former PM. It has to be passed by the executive committee and then by the LMC house,” said Indramani Tripathi, municipal commissioner.