NEW DELHI: The family of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday visited the proposed site identified by the Centre for his memorial on the campus Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the presence of Central Public Work Department (CPWD) officials. This was their second visit since the government announced the decision to allocate land for a commemorative structure to be built in Singh’s memory in the common memorial complex along the Ring Road. At least five CPWD officials, including engineers were present to show the family around the place.
The family reached the site around 3 pm, where they spent about 30 minutes with the officials seeking clarifications on certain queries. They also looked at the memorials of other former PMs including Inder Kumar Gujral and Chandra Shekhar in the vicinity.
Manmohan Singh’s eldest daughter Upinder Singh told this newspaper that there was no specific purpose but they wanted to visit the place with the Government officials. “We earlier visited the site and subsequently gave our consent (for allotment of land for the construction of the memorial) to the Government… The process of formation of the Trust (for the memorial of the former PM), is underway. Nothing is finalized yet,” she said. After a long wait, the family conveyed its acceptance to a piece of land, measuring about 10,000 square feet, offered for the construction of the memorial this month. The formal allotment of the land will be made once the family sets up the Trust.
Manmohan Singh passed away in December. While the ministry waited for the family’s approval, the engineer and architect of the Central Public Work Department (CPWD) carried out groundwork to facilitate the construction of the same. The mapping of the site was done and the design and other modalities were also discussed in the ministry. According to the officials, the CPWD will carry out the construction however expenses will be borne by the trust. The proposed cenotaph of the Singh will be identical to the memorials that already existed on the campus.