Delegates from India and Pakistan will meet at the Attari-Wagah border on Sunday to discuss various issues related to the Kartarpur Corridor, including connectivity at the Zero Point and the number of pilgrims to be allowed. Government officials said the construction from Indian side will be completed by October 31, well before the commemoration of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019.
New Delhi had earlier conveyed its strong concerns to Pakistan over the presence of a leading Khalistani separatist in a committee appointed by Islamabad on the project. “The meeting will discuss modalities of the Kartarpur Corridor and related technical issues,” said the officials.
The four-lane highway connecting the Zero Point of the Kartarpur Corridor up to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The officials said India is constructing a bridge at the Zero Point and has urged Pakistan to build a similar bridge on its side that will provide safe and secure movement of the pilgrims and address concerns regarding flooding. The bridge is over a creek, of which the majority part falls in Pakistan.
Pakistan said it would build a mud-filled embankment, a move which would not only lead to flooding in areas on the Indian side but also pose a threat to the structure of the bridge. The construction work at the site of passenger terminal complex at Dera Baba Nanak in India is on full swing. The work has been planned to be completed by October 31 before the commemoration of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019. More than 250 labourers and 30 engineers are working at the site in three shifts. The terminal is being built on around 15 acres of land with comprehensive facilities to cater to approximately 5,000 pilgrims daily.
The passenger terminal building is being constructed by the Land Ports Authority of India.
The work for it was awarded to the Shapoorji Pallonji Group on May 29. The land acquisition process has been completed with the support of the Punjab government and the project is scheduled to be completed by October 31.
The total cost of the project is Rs 177.5 crore.