New Delhi: In one of his government’s first decisions after Narendra Modi took charge at the PMO on Tuesday, MoS tourism Shripad Naik allocated Rs 18 crore to bifurcate the ghats of Varanasi, to fulfill the PM’s election promise to clean up the holy city.
Mr Modi was received at the South Block by new principal secretary Nripendra Misra and other officials. Immediately after entering his office, he paid his respects to the Father of the Nation by offering flowers before a photograph of Gandhiji.
In another move soon after taking charge, Mr Modi also ordered payment of relief of Rs 2 lakhs each to the kin of each of those killed in Monday’s train disaster in Uttar Pradesh, and Rs 50,000 for each person seriously injured, from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Later in a special gesture, Mr Modi paid a courtesy call on his predecessor Manmohan Singh at his new residence, at 3 Motilal Nehru Place.
Mr Modi was received by Dr Singh and wife Gursharan Kaur, who had shifted to their new residence after the new governments swearing-in Monday evening.
Mr Modi is till at Gujarat Bhavan and is yet to shift to Race Course Road.
Mr Modi has not yet moved into the Prime Minister’s Race Course Road residence and is staying put in Gujarat Bhawan.
He is likely to shift in a few days later as the new residence is being refurbished, sources said.
Meanwhile, ahead of taking charge as the new home minister, Rajnath Singh on Tuesday directed home secretary Anil Goswami to prepare a detailed report on the challenges faced by the country including the prevailing internal security scenario and other major issues.
Mr Singh, who is likely to take charge of the ministry on Thursday, was briefed by the home secretary on a variety of matters.
“The home secretary today briefed me on certain important issues pertaining to the ministry of home affairs. I have asked him to prepare a detailed presentation,” Mr Singh tweeted after the meeting that lasted for more than half-an-hour.
