Central Government has approved Rs 100 crore for the development of religious and heritage memorials in Punjab besides promising to carry out a comprehensive revamping of the sites related with national valour in the State.
Moreover, the Smart City project would get kick started in three cities of the State with the Chief Minister’s office immediately releasing Rs 50 crore for the purpose as its component. In total, the three cities would get Rs 350 crore for the project.
The approval came after the State local bodies and Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday met various Union Ministers to seek Centre’s assistance for the same.
Sidhu, taking forward the development-centric agenda spelled out by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, met the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
Revealing that the three Ministers have assured all out support to the State Government for its efforts to develop religious and heritage sites as well as memorials in Punjab, Sidhu said that the Union Tourism Minister has cleared Punjab Government’s project worth Rs 100 crores.
“Out of this, Rs 32 crore would be spent on infrastructural development and facilitation of pilgrims at Sri Anandpur Sahib,” he added.
Sidhu said that the Union Minister also gave nod to Rs 20 crore for Fatehgarh Sahib, Rs 18 crore for Chamkaur Sahib, Rs 10 crore for Jallianwala Bagh, Rs 15 crore for Hussainiwala and Khatkar Kalan memorials related with Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev, Rs three crore for Saragarhi apart from Rs two crore for Kalanaur.
He also gave detailed presentation of Punjab Government’s futuristic vision in this regard. “Union Minister Puri, who is visiting Punjab on January 6 to meet Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, gave assurance for the infrastructural development and beautification of heritage city of Sri Amritsar Sahib,” said Sidhi. He said that Puri assured to initiate development projects under HRIDAY, Smart City, AMRUT and other centrally-sponsored schemes for infrastructure-oriented development and facilities for the holy city of Amritsar which sees an average footfall of more than one lakh people from various states of India and foreign countries daily.
Sidhu said that now, all decks have been cleared for the perfect execution of the Smart City project. “Punjab Government would contribute Rs 50 crores as its own share in the project with the State getting Rs 350 crore for the project in three cities,” he said.
Asserting that Punjab has immense potential to be transformed as a tourism hub, Sidhu said that the State Government’s plans to develop tourism sites under different circuits of Sikhism, Sufism, national valour, Mughals, and historical would act as game changers in not only bringing but firmly placing Punjab on the global tourism map.