Just a year before the 2014 parliamentary polls, the SAD-BJP led Punjab Government is all set to woo the Hindu voters.
After riding on the victory bandwagon by wooing the State voters by constructing and announcing memorials of almost all kinds for Sikhs, the coalition regime has now turned its attention towards the Hindu voters too, ahead of lok Sabha polls. Announced in 2011 State Budget, the Ram Tirath or Valmiki Ashram — to perpetuate the rich legacy of Bhagwan Valmiki — will finally see the light of the day. For, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would lay down the foundation stone of the civil works of this “world class historical monument-cum-temple” with inbuilt museum and panorama at Amritsar on October 18 — the Bhagwan Valmiki Jayanti.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister in a high-level meeting of Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Vikas Board constituted for the development of Sri Valmiki Ashram (Ram Tirath) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike. Taking part in the deliberations, Badal said the new temple to be constructed at a cost of Rs 115 crore, would be an engineering marvel spruced with rare architecture, landscaping besides aesthetically designed.
He has asked the Architecture Department of the Guru Nanak Dev University to design and supervise the construction of this world class temple besides providing the structural designs of this project within two months. He also approved a corpus of Rs 10 crore to be kept at the disposal of the board for managing the routine expenditure. Badal categorically said that this temple would be unique in the sense that it would not only help in disseminating the philosophy of Bhagwan Valmiki for carving out a harmonious society in the State but would also act as a lighthouse to guide the destiny of our youth through the great ethical and moral values preached by him.
He further added that the work would be executed in a phased manner. “During the first phase, the construction of temple and Multi Storey Bus or car parking would be undertaken followed by construction of langar hall, sangat hall and Museum in the second, third and fourth phase respectively,” he added. Underscoring the need to evolve a foolproof mechanism to ensure efficiency and transparency for the management and regulation of the temple affairs, the Chief Minister said that a statutory body must be entrusted this job. He also asked the Deputy Commissioner Amritsar, in the capacity of member secretary of the board, to study the different proposals regarding the matter so that better management of the temple could be ensured. The Deputy Commissioner apprised Badal that the model of Mansa Devi Temple Shrine Board could also be replicated here.