Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 25

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will lead an all-party delegation across the border to Kartarpur Sahib on the opening day of the corridor on November 9.

The Chief Minister made the announcement while reviewing the progress of the various works related to the 550th Prakash Purb Celebrations at the historic town of Dera Baba Nanak. This was his second review meeting in a week.

The delegation that will accompany the Chief Minister to the historic gurdwara would comprise all 117 Punjab MLAs, state Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, SGPC members, as well as members of Sant Samaaj and representatives of each recognised state political party. 

During the review meeting, Amarinder also announced that the Dera Baba Nanak road leading to Old Gurdwara Sahib towards the corridor would be named after Kuldeep Singh Wadala.

Reiterating the fact that the grand occasion was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all to be part of such a memorable event, Amarinder asked the Finance Minister to ensure regular outflow of funds for all projects connected with the celebration. If necessary, he could even cut the financial allocation of any other department, the Chief Minister told the Finance Minister.

The Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue to freeze the budget, by Thursday, of all the high-level events planned at Dera Baba Nanak to commemorate the momentous occasion. He also directed the Chief Secretary to finalise the schedule of activities to be held at all the three historic towns and put it in public domain by October 1.

Underlining the need to disseminate all necessary information regarding the main events, the Chief Minister asked the State Organising Committee to prepare a detailed audio-visual campaign to enable the devotees to plan their journey in advance. He directed the department to also design an information handbook detailing all events for the facilitation of the devotees.

Regarding the tented city being put up at Dera Baba Nanak, the Chief Minister directed the Principal Secretary (Tourism) to ensure complete coordination between all departments to ensure smooth arrangements for the lakhs of pilgrims expected to visit the historic Gurdwara Sahib to pay their obeisance during the historic occasion.

Earlier, the Principal Secretary Local Government informed the meeting that Rs 271 crore had been approved for Dera Baba Nanak by the Government of India under the Smart City Project. The Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner informed the meeting that work was in full swing to ensure all amenities and facilities for the devotees.