Dear PM, Please Keep Coming To Nagpur

Nagpur: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-anticipated visit to Nagpur just around the corner, the city is undergoing a remarkable facelift — at least in select areas. The sudden flurry of activity by the civic and district administration, and other govt agencies, has left many Nagpurians pleasantly surprised, but also somewhat cynical. So impressed are some citizens with the visible transformation that they are now urging the PM to visit Nagpur at least every six months, hoping that such VIP visits will keep the city perpetually clean and presentable.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the city on Sunday, coinciding with Gudi Padwa, with visits to Smruti Mandir, Deekshabhoomi, Madhav Netralaya at Hingna, and Solar Explosives plant at Bazargaon.
This has triggered frantic efforts by civic authorities to revamp the city's landscape, which has caught the attention of citizens. Workers are racing against time to repair pothole-ridden roads, repaint medians, clean footpaths, and spruce up green spaces along the PM's route. The selected makeover stretches include Wardha Road, Reshimbagh, Deekshabhoomi, and roads leading to Hingna.
On Friday, a visit by TOI to these areas revealed an evident push to give Nagpur a facelift. Workers were seen engaged in last-minute patchwork repairs, while painters refreshed the dividers and island structures at key intersections. The footpaths along Wardha Road, often neglected and strewn with litter, were scrubbed and swept clean. Murals are also being cleaned.
However, many other areas, including Great Nag Road, Bajaj Nagar Square, internal roads in Narendra Nagar, a major part of North Nagpur, Mahal, and others still remain in bad condition. Such is the condition of Ashok Square that the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the traffic department have decided not to use the route for the PM.
For many Nagpurians, the sudden infrastructure push has brought mixed feelings — relief at the visible cleanliness, but also frustration at the city's inconsistent upkeep. Shital Kulkarni praised the swift action but expressed a hope for more consistency. "When the Prime Minister of our country is visiting our city, it is the duty of every citizen to show that Nagpur is a beautiful city and the administration is doing it. The footpaths along Wardha Road have been cleaned thoroughly. The roads are clean, the walkable streets on Wardha Road, which many times remain neglected, have also been cleaned properly," said Kulkarni.
She added with a wry smile, "PM Modi should visit the city regularly so that it will remain clean and beautiful throughout the year."
However, not everyone is impressed. Some residents have voiced disappointment over the administration's selective beautification. While roads and squares along the PM's route are being swiftly upgraded, many other areas remain mired in neglect. Sameer Upadhyay expressed his discontent over the attention given to specific areas. "While areas where PM Modi is visiting are being cleaned and roads being repaired, many other areas across the city still remain neglected. It is good that steps are being taken for the PM's visit, but such enthusiasm must be maintained by the administration throughout the year. I hope PM Modi visits every six months, so that such measures are taken by the administration every now and then," said Upadhyay.
On social media, the PM's visit has become a trending topic, with users flooding platforms with posts welcoming Modi and highlighting the makeover. Some residents took a humorous jab at the situation, crediting the PM for the sudden road repairs. "The PM is coming to Nagpur so that some roads are being repaired. Thanks to the PM's visit," quipped an X user.
This visit marks PM Modi's first official appearance in Nagpur since December 2022, when he inaugurated the Samruddhi Expressway. However, during last year's Lok Sabha election campaigning, Modi made multiple visits to the city airport and even spent a night at Nagpur. Several residents, recalling similar instances of cosmetic clean-ups during high-profile visits, compared the current situation to the C-20 summit held in October 2023. During that event, Nagpur underwent an extensive beautification drive, only to fall back into its old, unkempt state shortly after the dignitaries departed.