Amritsar, April 5: With a view to accommodate the increasing footfall of devotees at the Golden Temple, the SGPC intends to build a multi-storey serai (inn) with ample parking space at its land located in the adjoining Akali Market.
Spread in five acres, a new inn with 1,000 rooms has been proposed to be built in the market owned by the SGPC. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been kept aside in the 2018-2019 budget to carry out the first phase of the project. The proposal was mooted earlier too, but it could not take off as a dispute arose with the tenants that have moved court.
The SGPC’s additional secretary Diljit Singh Bedi said the tenants of the shops were informed to vacate and the matter would be resolved out of court.“The talks are on with the shopkeepers to vacate the premises. The new inn would have a shopping arcade.
The affected shopkeepers can be accommodated in the new setup. We have already got a number of shops vacated and staff quarters too have not been allotted further to pave way for the upcoming plan of raising accommodation for devotees,” he said.
The site is behind Akal Takht. On its entry, a heritage structure in the form of a gate is also situated.
It has been learnt that the SGPC has already prepared the blueprint, including map and design, of the proposed project, which was approved in the executive meeting.
The Golden Temple’s manager Sulakhan Singh said the SGPC had already purchased two plots measuring 600 sq yard near Pappranwala Bazaar and 500 sq yard near Churra Bazaar to facilitate a wide approach.
“As footfall to the Golden Temple has been increasing day by day, it is the need of the hour to have additional structure to accommodate them. We aim to commence the project within three months,” he said.
However, the condition of the market is such that roads are uneven, heaps of garbage can be seen at places and the drains are open. Besides shops and workshops, small residential flats and Bhai Mati Dass Park are situated on the premises. Another constraint was the narrow approach.
Source Tribune India
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