Maharashtra Day to be celebrated in UP Raj Bhavan: Ram Naik

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today said that Maharashtra's formation day, which falls on May 1, will be celebrated at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow.

Addressing a press conference here, Naik said that the festivities, which will last for two days, was being organised jointly by the governments of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, along with Lucknow-based organisations like Maharashtra Samaj, Marathi Samaj and Bhatkhande Sangeet Vishwavidyalay.

"The initiative is part of a Memorandum of Understanding on cultural exchange signed between the two states. Folk art, musical theatre and other legacies from Maharashtra will be on display during the two-day event," Naik said.

Replying to a query on whether the Foundation Day of Uttar Pradesh would be celebrated in Maharashtra, Naik said that he would pursue the issue with the state government here.

On being asked about whether such a celebration would face political opposition in Maharashtra, Naik said that natives of both places had managed to assimilate very well in each other's states.

"It all depends on how we view things," Naik said.

The UP Governor said that recent investors' meets organised by the Uttar Pradesh government had resulted in 1,650 MoUs, envisaging proposals worth over Rs 4.45 lakh crore, being signed.

"The two main hurdles in the state's development, law and order and electricity, are being addressed and improvement is being observed," Naik said.

He also informed that the Foundation Day of Uttar Pradesh, which falls on January 24, was celebrated in that state for the first time this year.

It was on this day, in 1950, that the United Provinces was renamed as Uttar Pradesh.