Captain urges PM to announce financial package

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a “generous” financial package for the year-long celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first master of Sikhs.

In a letter, the CM apprised Modi that the state government was launching a series of developmental programmes to commemorate the historic occasion.

Listing some of the schemes, including establishment of Pind Babe Nanak Da at Sultanpur Lodhi, setting up of a National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, establishment of a Medical College at Batala, construction of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg connecting places visited by the first Guru, both in Punjab and other states, and development of 47 smart towns/villages associated with the Guru, the CM said a financial package should be given to the state forthwith at least for these projects.

Referring to an earlier meeting with the PM, Amarinder said the state government had already submitted a memorandum for seeking assistance of ₹2,145 crore from the Centre.

The CM said all these proposals were included in the memorandum submitted to the Union government and were discussed by the National Implementation Committee in its last meeting on November 8. However, the state government had yet not been conveyed about its outcome, said the CM.

The CM has also written to Union railways minister Piyush Goyal to consider a tri-weekly train from New Delhi to Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district so the pilgrims coming to pay obeisance were provided with proper connectivity and ease of travel.