To perpetuate the rich legacy of legendary exponent of Bhakti movement Bhagat Namdev, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday announced to establish a chair in his name at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. “The upcoming chair would be instrumental in disseminating the teachings and philosophy of Bhagat Namdev,” said Badal, while addressing the gathering during the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammellan.
He urged the Executive Members of the organising committee to give full support and cooperation to enable the chair for undertaking research in a meaningful manner. Badal also announced to set up Baba Namdev Government Degree College over an area of 10 acre at a cost of Rs 18 crore to impart quality education in science and arts to the students of this border belt of the state. He also announced to upgrade the Government High School for Girls as 10-plus-two. Besides, he announced to provide 100 percent potable water supply and sewerage facility to the residents of Ghuman village, so that this historic village could be showcased as one of the most modern and advanced village in the country.
At the same time, he also extended an invitation to the organizing committee to commemorate this function every year at this village in the memory of Bhagat Namdev. Highly impressed by the event, Badal said that he was seriously contemplating to organize such sammellan for the promotion of Punjabi art and literature. Expressing gratitude to the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar for showing special concern for the state’s overall development, Badal said that he was really indebted to Gadkari for declaring Guru Gobind Singh Marg from Sri Anandpur Sahib to Nanded via Talwandi Sabo as national highway project besides sanctioning four-laning of numerous state roads and national highways within Punjab.
He also thanked Pawar for having allotted world’s prestigious Borlaug Institute of Maize Research in ludhiana during his stint as Union Agriculture Minister. Pawar, speaking on the occasion, lauded Badal’s personal initiative for holding this state level function which would go a long way in fostering ties of goodwill and friendship amongst the people of Punjab and Maharashtra. He highly appreciated the role of Sikhs in defending the country from foreign invasion besides enormous contribution of Punjabi farmers in making India food surplus from food deficit nation. Gadkari, in his address, said that Bhagat Namdev’s enormous contribution towards redeeming mankind from social maladies and agonies suffered by them due to worldly possessions were worth mentioning.
He extended an open invitation to Punjab government to hold such mega event for the promotion of Punjabi language, literature and art at Nagpur. Gadkari announced to construct a 157-kilometre-long four-laned cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs1800 crore under National Highways Project.