Katarpur Corridor: BJP scuttling Sikhsâ dreams, says Capt

Amarinder Singh. File photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 17

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday accused Union Minister Vijay Sampla of putting “unnecessary” roadblocks in the Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage.

“Instead of finding ways of facilitating the Sikh pilgrims, the central government, especially responsible elected representatives such as Sampla, were constantly putting hurdles in the way of the realisation of their dream to visit the historic gurdwara, which they had seen being fulfilled with the decision to open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor,” Captain Amarinder Singh said.

Sampla is a former BJP state unit chief.

Singh said Sampla’s statement rejecting passport waiver and making visa mandatory for “the poor and illiterate pilgrims” crossing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor showed neither the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) nor its ally Shiromani Akalu Dal were interested in making the travel “hassle-free”.

“Sampla’s claim that all Punjabis had passports was highly irresponsible and wrong, and showed how misinformed and disconnected from the masses the Minister was,” he said, adding that the BJP was on the one hand trying to take credit for the corridor and one the other, trying to impede its smooth operationalisation.

He said Sampla’s statement reflected the BJP’s “anti-minority attitude” and the Modi government’s continued attempts to sideline the country’s minorities to further its political agenda.

Sidhu for no-construction zone around Kartarpur gurdwara

Will write to Pakistan PM Imran Khan in this regard

Navjot Sidhu at Chhatbir Zoo in Zirakpur on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: NITIN MITTAL

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 17

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will request Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to declare Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara and its surroundings as a no-construction zone.

“The place (Kartarpur Sahib) belonged to our Guru where he had ploughed fields also. Those fields are still there so it’s important that the place should remain intact. I am writing to Khan to declare the place as a no-construction zone to keep its sanctity intact,” said Sidhu, who was in the town to inspect the ongoing developmental works at the Chhatbir Zoo here today.

“I am sure my elder brother (Imran Khan) will concede my request which is being made on the behalf of all Sikhs and Punjabis,” he said, adding that the letter would be sent in a day or two.

On being asked about his purpose of visit at the zoo, Sidhu said he came there to inspect certain development projects on which his department had spent around Rs 7.9 crore.

“Our certain initiatives in direction of upgrading facilities here have boosted the footfall at the zoo. If compare this year’s data with the last year’s, a substantial increase of 60 per cent in the footfall has been witnessed here. “The footfall here has witnessed an upswing by 60 per cent as 9 lakh visitors came here last year, which is an increase of more than 3 lakh, as the number earlier was nearly 5.5 lakh in 2017,” said Sidhu, adding that the target was to take this number to 10 lakh this year.

Under the development project at the zoo, an entrance gate with the theme of conservation of wildlife has been constructed. Besides, a new ticket counter, a holistic food plaza has been provided. Apart from this, an interpretation centre having a lobby, two exhibition halls, and an audio visual room have also been constructed. A children’s park with the theme of jungle training and adventure sports facilities has been provided in the zoo.

“Now we are intending to spend Rs 5 crore to set up a state-of-the-art aquarium at the zoo.

Sidhu also inaugurated a special tourism bus, which would promote tourism in the state.

Work on Kartarpur corridor in full swing on Pak side

35% WORK IS OVER AND THE ENTIRE PROJECT WILL SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY BY SEPTEMBER, SAYS EVACUEE TRUST PROPERTY BOARD

CHANDIGARH:Work on the Kartarpur corridor on the Pakistan side is in a full swing with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which controls temples and gurdwaras in the neighbouring country, executing the project.

Heavy earthmoving machines are working round the clock to make the corridor a reality at the earliest, said ETPB secretary Tariq Wazir talking to HT over telephone.

“Nearly 35% work is already complete and the entire project will see the light of day by September. In the first phase, ETPB will refurbish Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, build a sarovar, a langar hall, quarters for granthis, 4 kilometre passage from the India border to the gurdwara, a terminal for check in by pilgrims from the Indian side and parking on the India-Pak border,” Wazir said.

After check-in, pilgrims from the Indian side will be taken to the shrine in Pak government’s vehicles, he added.

The Pakistan government is preparing a master plan of the area which will have hotels, serais and other facilities for the pilgrims in phase 2 of the project.

“We started construction work the next after the groundbreaking ceremony,” said Wazir.

Our government will develop 1,176 acre around the gurdwara in two phases, with a budget of 2 to 3 billion (Pak currency).

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone for Kartarpur corridor on November 28, last year wherein two Union ministers from India — Hardeep Singh Puri and Harsimrat Kaur Badal besides Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu — in attendance.

Speaking on the discussions with the Indian government about connecting the corridor constructed on Indian side, Wazir said Pakistan law and foreign ministries are working on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed with their Indian counterparts and a meeting was expected to take place shortly. Wazir said religious affairs minister Norul Haq along with a delegation of Sikh leaders visited the construction site last week to assess the progress.

Ramesh Singh Arora, a former MLA in the Punjab assembly from the Narowal constituency where the gurdwara is located, said the Pakistan’s federal government is directly involved in the work and has assigned tasks to various departments. The funds for the project are allocated by the federal government from the annual development plan, he said.

Also a member of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Arora said the committee was also involved in monitoring of works, especially for the development of the gurdwara complex.