TheUnited States President, Donald Trump, will inaugurate the world¡¯s largestcricket stadium when he arrives in Ahmedabad, the home base of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.?
The most mind-boggling partof President Trump's visit to India is that government is all set to spendaround ?80 crore-85 crore ($11-12 million) on preparations for the visit by theAmerican president that is likely to last around three hours, reports Reuters.
The sum is equivalent toabout 1.5% of the annual budget for the home ministry in Gujarat.
Security-related costs, withmore than 12,000 police officers expected to be deployed, will account foralmost half the expense, said the officials, who declined to be named as theyare not authorised to speak publicly about the visit.
Ahmedabad municipalcommissioner Vijay Nehra, the city's top civic official, told Reuters that authoritieshad already spent around 300 million rupees ($4.2 million) on widening roadsand improving infrastructure around the new cricket stadium.
"Eighteen roads of about20 kilometers (12 miles) in length from Ahmedabad Airport to Motera Stadiumhave been widened or re-laid," Nehra said, adding that the improvementshad been planned before Trump's visit was confirmed.
Australia¡¯s Melbourne CricketGround, which is currently known as the world¡¯s largest stadium, has a seating capacity of 1,00,028.
The Motera Cricket Stadium,which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 700 crore, will have a parkingcapacity for 3,000 cars, 10,000 two-wheelers and a steating capacity of more than 1,10,000.
It will also feature aclubhouse with 55 rooms, a large swimming pool, gymnasium, party area and a 3Dprojector theatre room.
The stadium will also have a cricket academy, indoor practice pitches, top qualityfood courts and facilities for playing other sports.
The spectacle whichwas first called ¡°Kem chho Trump¡±, (or Howdy! Trump) is now?simply called¡®Namaste Trump¡¯.?The name change for the mega event in the newly-built MoteraStadium, world¡¯s largest cricket stadium, in Ahmedabad, according to politicalwatchers is intended to give it a pan India flavour with ¡®Namaste¡¯ - the? universallyrecognized Indian form of greeting.??
Trump along with the FirstLady are scheduled to visit Ahmedabad and New Delhi on February 24 and 25,according to a White House announcement early this week. This would bepresident's first bilateral visit in the third decade of 21st century and alsothe first after his acquittal by the Senate in the impeachment trial.
ALL INPUTS REUTERS