Khattar announces sops for Sikhs, attends Parkash Utsav of 10th Guru
Says govt has prepared plan to provide financial aid to pilgrims to Sikh religious places
: : With a view to appeasing the state’ s Sikh community, chief minister Man oh ar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced setting up of a trust named after Baba Banda Bahadur at Yamunanagar district’s Lohgarh to develop the area as a tourist destination.
Khattar, who was addressing a gathering after paying tributes to Guru Go bind Sing hat the statelevel function organised to mark the closing ceremony of the 350 th Parkash Utsav of the 10th Sikh Guru, also announced to setup a magnificent memorial gate on the Kapal Mochan-Lohgarh road and a ‘yatri niwas’ at Badkhalsa and ‘P ir Bud h Shah memorial park at Sadhaura.
He said Punjabi has already been accorded the status of second language in the state. To promote the language, the process to fill 397 posts of trained graduate teachers (TGTs) and 352 posts of trained postgraduate teachers (PGTs) in Punjabi has been initiated, he said. Khattar announced that special trains will run from Ambala and Sirsa to Patna in Bi ha rf rom December 22 to 25 so a large number of people from the state could participate in the closing ceremony of Guru Go bind Singh’s 350th Prakash Utsav (in Patna) in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate.
The state government has also prepared a plan to provide financial assistance to the pilgrims intending to visit religious places such as Hajoor Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Pat na Sahib and Hem ku nd Sahib. A similar scheme has also been prepared to facilitate the pil- grims going on Sindhu Darshan and Kai lash Mans a row ar Y at ra, he said. A mega educational institution will be setup in the area after the name of a Sikh Guru, he said. “Till 1998, many colleges of the state were affiliated with Panjab University. The university again wants some colleges affiliated with it. We are considering the proposal andi fit material is es, some colleges of this area would also be affiliated with PU. One of the colleges will be named after the Sikh Guru,” he said.