CM TO DEDICATE 2ND PHASE OF JANG-E-AZADI MEMORIAL TO NATION ON MARCH 6

Chandigarh/Kartarpur (Jalandhar), February 10:

          Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will dedicate the second phase of the Jang-e-Azadi memorial to the nation on March 6.

          A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister during a meeting held at the memorial with Chairman of Jang-e-Azadi Foundation and Chief Editor of Ajit group of newspapers Barjinder Singh Hamdard, along with other officials.

          The meeting came a day after the Punjab government released Rs 5 crores for the project, with the remaining about Rs 9 crores set to be released soon.

          It may be noted that the Chief Minister had sanctioned the final instalment of Rs. 15 Crores for the completion of the second phase of the Jang-E-Azadi Memorial last year. The first phase of this project was completed in June 2017.

          During the meeting, the Chief Minister was updated about the work on the second phase of the memorial.

           The Chief Minister said that, once inaugurated, the state-of-the-art memorial would give a major fillip to the tourism sector in the state and lead to Kartarpur’s emergence on the world tourist map. The memorial would also act as a catalyst in making the younger generations aware of the rich heritage of valour, patriotism and sacrifice that had been the driving force behind India’s freedom struggle, he added.

          The memorial, which showcases various facets of  the freedom struggle, is a perfect blend of grandeur, aesthetics and architecture, said the Chief Minister, describing it as a befitting tribute to the great heroes of the independence struggle.

          Earlier, the President of the Executive Committee of the Jang-E-Azaadi Foundation, Dr Barjinder Singh Hamdard, welcomed the Chief Minister to the memorial and apprised him about the progress of the project being managed by Jang-e-Azadi Foundation.

          The project, spread across 25 acres of land, was originally sanctioned in July 2012 at a total cost of Rs. 315 Crores. The memorial is a unique piece of art which has a minaret, a seminar hall, an auditorium, a movie hall, a cafeteria, a library, an Open Air theatre for laser show and an amphitheatre.

          Prominent amongst others present at the meeting  were Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Media Advisor to Chief Minister  Raveen Thukral, OSD to Chief Minister Gurpreet Singh Sonu Dhesi, Lok Sabha Chaudhary Santokh Singh, MLAs Pargat Singh,  Sushil Kumar Rinku, Chaudhary Surinder Singh and Bawa Henry, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma, Inspector General of Police  Arpit Shukla, Senior Superintendent of Police  Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Congress leader Tejinder Singh Bittu, Director Land Records  Vinay Bublani, and Deputy Mayor Jalandhar  Harsimranjit Singh Bunty.

THE ONLY STATE-LEVEL FUNCTION ON ATTARIWALA’S MARTYRDOM WAS AT MEMORIAL, CLARIFIES PUNJAB GOVT

Chandigarh, February 10:

          The Punjab Government has clarified that the state-level function to commemorate the 172nd Martyrdom Day of General Sham Singh Attariwala was held on Saturday at his memorial, India Gate, in Attari, and not in his native village, as was being projected by a section of the media.

          Reacting to reports appearing on certain news websites that the Chief Minister Singh did not address the state-level function at the martyr’s village, a government spokesperson said that there was no state-level programme at the Attari village. In fact, Capt. Amarinder Singh decided to visit the village, after attending the official function at India Gate, only to pay his respects at the ‘samadh’ of Gen Attariwala.

          The spokesperson made it clear that there was only one state-level event to mark the occasion, which the Chief Minister attended as scheduled and as categorically specified in the state government advertisements that appeared in various newspapers this morning.

          The event referred to by the media reports was organised by the General Sham Singh Attariwala Trust, and was not a part of the Chief Minister’s itinerary, said the spokesperson. There was, therefore, no question of the Chief Minister skipping the said programme, he added, strongly refuting reports to the contrary.