Process to visit Kartarpur to be made public by Oct 1, says Punjab minister

The Centre would make public the process for the devotees to visit Kartarpur Sahib by October 1, according to Punjab Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who met a senior Union Home Ministry official here on Thursday.

Randhawa met Braj Raj Sharma, Secretary, Border Management in the Union Home Ministry and took stock of the ongoing work on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and demanded for easing the process to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.

The Punjab Cooperation and Jails minister said the central government would make public the process for the devotees with regard to 'Darshan' of Sri Kartarpur Sahib by October 1.

He said the government has also conceded Punjab's demand that information regarding the visit would be available in Punjabi on a web portal.

Randhawa said he said during the meeting that entire Punjab wants the process for visiting the holy sikh shrine in Pakistan through Sri Kartarpur Sahib corridor to be disclosed early.

To this, Sharma said the Union government is working speedily on the project and the process would be announced by October 1. The demand to put out information in Punjabi on the web portal to be created for applying was accepted too, a Punjab government statement claimed.

The minister also added that it also transpired in the meeting that the work on the Indian side regarding Kartarpur Sahib would be completed by October 31.

He also apprised the Secretary that the state government is organizing 'Dera Baba Nanak Utsav' in the first week of November for which the devotees are expected to reach before the 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji which necessitates completion of work by the end of October.

The minister said that given the expected rush of devotees to visit Kartarpur Sahib, the Border Management has approved the setting up of a police station at Dera Baba Nanak to ensure security. Besides this, the discussions also centered on fire brigade and upgradation of hospital, according to the statement.