CHANDIGARH: The small historic town of Sultanpur Lodhi will be developed as a Heritage Town, as Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ushered in the week-long celebrations of the 550th Guru Nanak birth anniversary celebration at this town. He appealed to one and all not to indulge in any politics or one-upmanship.
The state government, said Amarinder, had also secured approval from the Centre for its proposal to develop Sultanpur Lodhi as a Heritage Town for Rs 271 crore on 50:50 sharing basis, and to set up a Centre for Inter-Faith Studies at GNDU Amritsar for Rs 175 crore. It had also proposed the establishment of a Pind Babe Nanak Da (Museum) for Rs 300 crore, he added.
Amarinder launched the celebrations by performing the Sewa of Saroop of Guru Granth Sahib before the start of Sehaj Path, jointly organised by the Punjab Government, Sikh Religious organisations and Sant Samaj at Sri Guru Nanak Darbar here.
Already kada (steel bangle for Sikhs), 550th Gurpurb T-shirts, key chains with khanda symbol, scarves, stoles, traditional music instruments, mini hand-operated butter churners, small charpoys, charkhas and tractor miniatures are in great demand and selling like hotcakes.
Amarinder also announced a new administrative complex and a Rs 150 crore ring road around the heritage city to enhance its connectivity with other cities. The iconic Quila Sarai, at present doubling up as the Tehsil administrative office, would be preserved by the state government as a heritage building, he said.