Sidhu urges Culture min to complete process of appointing new members of JBNMT

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Friday called upon Culture minister Mahesh Sharma and urged him to complete the process of appointing new members of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust (JBNMT), the body responsible for maintaining the holy monument.

He said any delay on part of the central government would cause unnecessary delay in getting approvals for the Punjab government's proposals pertaining to centenary commemoration of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, known as the mark of integrity of India, in April next year.

In his meeting with the Culture minister, Sidhu said that as the trust has the responsibility of running the affairs of Jallaianwala Bagh, any further delay in appointing new members would delay preparations for the centenary commemoration as it needed necessary approvals from the Trust headed by the prime minister and the body would be able to work only after completion of its appointments of three members whose tenure has already been completed.

"We have already submitted the proposal worth Rs 20 crore for commemorating the centenary commemoration of Jallianwala Bagh on a grand scale in order to make the world, and particularly the younger generation of India, aware about the sacrifices of the great martyrs, who sacrificed their lives to get the country free from the British rule," Sidhu said.

A statement from the state government claimed that the minister assured Sidhu that the appointment of the three new members would be completed within a week and after that the Trust would hold a meeting to consider all the proposals so that the preparations would start in time as the monument is the symbol of integrity of the nation.

Earlier, Sidhu met Tourism minister K J Alphons for approval of the Punjab government's proposals submitted under the National Mission for Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation (PRASAD) and Swadesh Mission.

The state government had submitted a proposal of Rs 115 crore for various developmental projects in the holy city of Amritsar.

Besides, the state government has sought Rs 108 under the Swadesh Darshan Yojana for projects of development nature and promotion of tourism in the state.