Tribune News Service,Amritsar January 11

Evincing keen interest in the upcoming ‘Punjab State War Heroes Memorial-cum-Museum’, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the executive committee of the project to regularly hold its meeting in Amritsar to monitor its day-to-day progress.Presiding over the governing body meeting of the project here at the Bachat Bhawan this morning, the Chief Minister took stock of the ongoing work of the project at the India Gate, near the Chheharta bypass. He said there was no dearth of funds for the project that aimed at showcasing the fortitude, valour and supreme sacrifices of the armed forces in defending national borders.Badal also laid thrust on accurate presentation of facts pertaining to various battles/wars to be showcased in the under-construction galleries.He said services of renowned historians must be taken to assure that storyline to be exhibited in galleries was authentic and historically correct. He also suggested that separate committees of historians and experts should be constituted for under-construction galleries.Spread over seven acres, near India Gate, Attari Road, the memorial is coming up at a cost of Rs 86 crore. The memorial will have a 45-metre high stainless steel sword at the centre of it, representing strength and courage in people of Punjab while defending the nation in the hour of need. This iconic structure will stand atop a platform surrounded by a water body. Names of martyrs will also be inscribed on the memorial that will have a circular path around it. The memorial will be built at an elevation of 12 feet.Meanwhile, the governing council today took a slew of important decisions like setting up of a Punjab State War Heroes and Museum foundation to manage the affairs of the project in a far better manner. The council also approved the creation of a corpus fund of Rs 10 crore for making the project self- sufficient. The state government would provide financial assistance for creating this fund, which would help in generation of income to cover salaries of staff and routine expenditure of the project.The council also gave nod for appointing about 60 persons as staff, including 36 security persons to be hired from PESCO, for the project.It was decided that the work of maintaining the complete civil works, including the sword, must be outsourced to a single agency.Likewise, it was approved that the landscaping of the project would be outsourced to another agency. It was also decided that nine committees of historians and experts would be constituted for assuring correct presentation of history in the under-construction galleries.Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prof Virsa Singh Valtoha, Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, Adviser to the CM Major General BS Dhaliwal (retd), Special Principal Secretary to the CM KJS Cheema, GNDU Vice- Chancellor Dr AS Brar, Sainik Welfare Director Brig JS Arora, DC Ravi Bhagat, Commissioner of Police Jatinder Singh Aulakh, Chief Architect (Punjab) Swapna, Director (Cultural Affairs) NS Randhawa, Deputy Director (Sainik Welfare) Col GJS Gill, General Officer Commanding (15 Division) Major General S Thapa, Brig Pawan Pal Singh, project consultant Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd), Lt Gen Kuldeep Singh (retd) and Lt Gen HRS Mann (retd) were among those others present in the meeting.

Rs 86-crore project

• Spread over seven acres, near India Gate, Attari Road, the memorial is coming up at a cost of Rs 86 crore. The memorial will have a 45-metre high stainless steel sword at the centre of it, representing strength and courage in people of Punjab while defending the nation in the hour of need. The iconic structure will stand atop a platform surrounded by a water body.