The spectators’ gallery at Attari-Wagah check post. photo: vishal kumar

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Attari, April 3

The Border Security Force (BSF) is having a tough time accommodating the unprecedented rush that turns up to watch the Beating the Retreat Ceremony at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post (JCP) every evening.The reason is that the existing gallery is still under renovation. It will take at least one more year to come up in its expanded ‘avatar’.The existing gallery — inaugurated in 1999 — was conceptualised to accommodate 5,000 people, but today, over 10,000 tourists visit the JCP daily.On weekends or on special occasions like Republic Day, Independence Day, Holi or Diwali when special programmes are organised at the JCP with Pakistan Rangers, this crowd tends to cross the 20,000 mark. No surprise, a large number of tourists return without witnessing the ceremony.The CPWD wing, which has undertaken the project, had set the March 31, 2017 deadline to complete the job. But the BSF intends to dedicate it to the public on Republic Day 2017. Deputy Inspector General, Amritsar, Sumer Singh said, “We aim to dedicate the new gallery on January 26 next. We have urged the CPWD to expedite the work. At present, we face space crunch to accommodate the heavy rush of enthusiasts,” he said.