Bihar: PM Narendra Modi to unveil centenary memorial pillar today

PATNA: PM Narendra Modi will unveil the centenary memorial pillar (CMP) of the state legislature building on Tuesday evening to mark the conclusion of the one-year centenary celebration of the state legislature building. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha and CM Nitish Kumar reviewed the preparations for the PM on Monday evening.
“It’s a proud moment for people of Bihar that PM will be participating in the historic event,” Sinha told reporters. After unveiling the 40 feet high CMP at 6pm, the PM will formalize the naming of the centenary memorial garden (CMG), which has 100 medicinal plants. He will lay the foundation stone for the assembly museum and a guesthouse through remote control at 6.09pm. Modi will also plant a Kalpataru in the CMG and release a book detailing the 100-year legislative journey of the state assembly since the separation of Bihar and Odisha from Greater Bengal formalised by the proclamation of King George V at the Delhi Durbar meet in December 1911.
While the legislature building, designed architecturally by A M Millwood, was constructed in 1920, the first session of the then legislative council was addressed by the then governor, Lord S P Sinha, on February 7, 2021. Subsequently, Odisha was separated from Bihar on April 1, 1936 and the first joint session of the Bihar assembly and its legislative council was held on July 7, 1937, following the first provincial elections held early the same year.
Modi first PM to attend such House function
Retrospectively, Jharkhand was separated from Bihar on November 15, 2000.
The CMP is depicted by the 15 feet bronze structure of the Bodhi Tree, weighing 2.5 tonne, on the 25 feet octagonal pedestal that is jutted with stones procured from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The pedestal contains two Swastik signs on its two sides, as it is the logo of the state government. Besides, the pedestal also has a select group of paintings picked from the pictorial representations made in the book of the Constitution.
The Bodhi Tree has 243 big leaves representing 243 members of the state assembly and relatively 75 smaller leaves that symbolize 75 members of the legislative council.
The function is set to become a magnificent show and spectacle, since Modi is the first PM of the country who is attending a function of the state legislature.
The PM will reach Patna airport at 5.20pm from Deoghar (Jharkhand), after inaugurating the airport there. At the Patna airport, he will be welcomed by the governor, CM and the Speaker.