To mark the launch of year-long celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th anniversary, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday laid the foundation stones for 26 development projects worth Rs 150 crore, including upgradation of infrastructure in three historic towns of Sultanpur Lodhi, Dera Baba Nanak and Batala.
Capt Amarinder, who further announced projects and welfare schemes of Rs 3312 crore to facilitate pilgrims and to commemorate the historic occasion, also launched a tree plantation drive to plant 550 trees in every village throughout the state in the next one year at a total cost of Rs 10.50 crore.
The cost for the same shall be met through greening Punjab Mission and maintenance shall be done through MNREGA. Indigenous variety of trees shall be planted at appropriate places in consultation with Gram Panchayats, said the Chief Minister, appealing to all Punjabis to plant at least one fruit tree each in their homes.
Besides, the Chief Minister announced the release of 32 prisoners and remission of term for another 2,952 to mark the occasion.
Punjab Government has decided to set up a Committee under Additional Chief Secretary (Home), with Principal Secretary (Jails), DG Intelligence and ADGP (Jails) as members, to review all cases of prisoners who have had good conduct and can be considered for early release. The Committee shall submit its report in 60 days.
In addition, it is also proposed to build a Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji Marg, to be finalized by the Group of Experts from the Department of Religious Studies, which has been assigned the task to study and propose alignment for the same.
The foundation stones laid relate to three high-level bridges and two Foot Over Bridges of Rs 24 crore, high level bridge on creek of river Beas (Rs 13 crore), New Rest House at Sultanpur Lodhi (Rs five crore), widening of plan roads (Rs 42 crores), special repair of plan roads (Rs 38 crores), which shall be completed by July 2019.
Others are development projects being undertaken by Local Government Department for upgradation of civic infrastructure in Municipal Council, new bus stand and sewerage treatment plant (STP) and other sewerage works in Sultanpur Lodhi, besides upgradation of civic infrastructure in Municipal Council in Batala and Dera Baba Nanak. All three towns are associated with the first Sikh Guru.
Chief Minister also announced Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana, under which 43 Lakh families would be brought under insurance cover of Rs five lakh at a cost of Rs 371 crores from January 1, 2019.
The State Government has also embarked upon an ambitious programme to spruce up the village infrastructure under Smart Village Campaign (SVC) in a phased manner, across the state, at a cost of Rs 1000 crore in the first phase.
Wide variety of developmental works (like sewerage system, paving of streets, gym, parks, CCTV, village Secretariat etc) shall be taken up in these villages over the next 3.5 years.
The project’s aim is to make the villages self-sustaining by creating an environment to enable the local communities to achieve their capabilities through contextually appropriate technologies, systems, structures and processes, said the Chief Minister.
Besides, 36 villages and 11 Nagar Panchayats visited by Guru Nanak Dev have also been identified for development at Rs 150 crore, announced the Chief Minister.
Capt Amarinder also announced an Institute of Inter-faith Studies will be set up at GNDU, Amritsar at Rs 510 crore, while ‘Pind Babe Nanak Da’ Museum will be established at Sultanpur Lodhi to commemorate the historic occasion.
“Bebe Nanki College for Girls in Mahablipur village, five km from Sultanpur Lodhi, in addition to a project for lining and cleaning of Kali Bein, to be undertaken in Sultanpur Lodhi in association with Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal of ‘Ek Onkar Charitable Trust’ through Kar Seva,” he said.
A sum of Rs 180 crore has been allocated for upgradation of roads and bridges to improve connectivity to Sultanpur Lodhi with Majha, Doaba and Malwa areas, to cater to huge rush of sangat expected to converge during the celebrations. These works in and around Sultanpur Lodhi Kapurthala shall be completed by September 30, 2019.
A Government Medical College and Super-Speciality Hospital will be established at Kotli Nangal village in Gurdaspur district for Rs 400 crore, in PPP mode, to be completed by 2021, and Sri Guru Nanak Devji Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT) will be established as a hub in main campus of PTU at Kapurthala, with a Spoke to be developed in Jabbowal village, Sultanpur Lodhi (total Rs 739 crore).
A Guru Nanak Dev Ji Auditorium in PTU Kapurthala and a Bio-diversity Park and Village Kanjli, District Kapurthala are among the other projects announced by the Chief Minister.