Chandigarh, August 22: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday set up three committees to supervise the arrangements for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, including development of infrastructure at the holy places visited by Guru Ji, namely Sultanpur Lodhi, Dera Baba Nanak and Batala.
Reviewing the preparations for the anniversary celebrations, the Chief Minister announced the formation of an infrastructure development committee and a celebration committee, for both rural and urban areas, besides a cultural affairs committee to draw up a comprehensive plan of events to be held at various places.
Presiding over the third meeting of the state committee constituted for this purpose, on the directives of the Chief Minister, the Finance Department has sanctioned Rs. 71 crore for laying 15 major roads in Sultanpur Lodhi with a total length of 142 kilometer, construction of one high level bridge and state-of-the-art rest house. Tenders would be floated by the Public Works Department in a few days and work on these projects would start soon, said an official spokesperson.
Giving details of the three committees, the spokesperson said Local Government Minister and Rural Development and Panchayats Minister would lead the Rural and Urban Infrastructure Development committees, while the Principal Secretary Cultural Affairs will head the Cultural Affairs Committee.
The Chief Minister, who had already submitted a detailed proposal to the Prime Minister seeking financial assistance of Rs. 2145 crore for the celebrations, would soon meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to submit the state government’s wishlist for the central help in making the celebrations a success.
During the meeting the Chief Minister ordered cleaning up of the holy Kali Bein, where Guru Nanak Dev Ji had spent many years of his early life, on priority. He also asked Cooperation Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Local Government Navjot Singh Sidhu to involve sant samaj in make the mega celebrations successful.
Prominent amongst those present in the meeting were Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla, MLA Sultanpur Lodhi Navtej Singh Cheema, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Principal Secretary to CM Tejveer Singh, Principal Secretary Finance Anirudh Tiwari, Principal Secretary Roshan Sunkaria and Principal Secretary Water Supply and Sanitation Jaspreet Talwar.
