Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said that a skill development training centre would be developed on the land located adjoining the Maharaja Dalip Singh Memorial at village Bassian so that the youth of area could be trained and made self-dependent.
His statement came after inaugurating the memorial constructed in the memory of last Sikh emperor Maharaja Dalip Singh at Bassian Kothi near Raikot.
Badal, addressing the gathering, said that making today’s youth self-employed is the need of the hour and setting up of skill development training centres in different parts of the State is the first step into this direction.
“The setting up of Skill Development Training Centre at Bassian village would help the youth of Raikot and its adjoining areas. I have also asked the representatives of Maharaja Dalip Singh Trust to give their suggestions also so that this project could be conceptualised at the earliest,” he said.
Speaking about the historical significance of Bassian Kothi, Chief Minister said that it was here that the last Sikh ruler Maharaja Dalip Singh, the son of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh, spent his last night on December 31, 1849, as a sovereign king in Punjab, the state ruled by him.
“At that time, Maharaja Dalip Singh (September 6, 1838-October 22, 1893), was less than 12 years in age. Bassian Kothi was basically an advance supply depot of the British military division based at Ferozepur,” he said.
Badal, recalling his first visit at Bassian Kothi on April 20, 2011, said that when he first visited the place, Bassian Kothi was literally in shambles. On that day, he was holding Sangat Darshan programme at a marriage palace in village Bassian (near Raikot, ludhiana).
Chief Minister said that due to rich historical significance of this place, the state government decided to construct a memorial here and an amount of `5.29 crore was sanctioned for this purpose. Delhi-based Indian National Trust and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was roped in for this purpose, he said.
“Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule was based on secularism and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janta Party alliance government is following his footsteps to propagate the rich legacy of Maharaja’s golden era of rule with service,” he said.
Chief Minister said that for preserving our rich history and to perpetuate the glorious legacy of the State for our coming generations, the SAD-BJP has been constructing several memorials in different parts of the State.