Kejriwal takes stock of Chhath preparations, visits Hathi ghat

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia today inspected Hathi ghat on the banks of Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja, for which the city government has declared a public holiday on November 17.
Officials took the duo around the ghat, that is located near ITO.
Makeshift pandals, sandbanks, floodlights and barricades have been put up across its premises.
Earlier, the government had announced its decision to declare Chhath as a gazetted holiday, as part of which all government offices will be shut on that day.
Until 2013, restricted holidays used to mark Chhath celebrations.
Last year, a public holiday was declared on Chhath, which was a demand of lakhs of Purvanchalis over the years, and was also an issue of political tug of war.

The AAP government's decision also assumes importance considering the closeness between the ruling party and JD(U).

Kejriwal had openly backed Nitish Kumar's candidature as Bihar Chief Minister, who triumphed in the recently conducted state polls.
Delhi government and municipal corporations are working in tandem to ready the river banks including making safety arrangements for people who will throng the ghats on the last two days of the festival.
The age-old tradition, which pays obeisance to the sun god, is observed mainly by people from Bihar and eastern UP.
People from the two states mark the festival by congregating at nearby river banks and water bodies.