Memorial construction to get Rs 25 lakh one-time grant

Memorials in the name of national leaders like President, Vice President and Prime Minister can now get a one-time grant of Rs 25 lakh from the government for construction, according to a new decision.

The grant, which will be decided on case-to-case basis and given to a trust or society formed in the name of a departed leader, will not be applicable for purchase of land but for constructing or developing a memorial or samadhi.

The decision comes over a year after the Cabinet placed a ban on conversion of government bungalows into memorials and development of memorials/samadhis for departed leaders.
 

"Government shall sanction one-time grants-in-aid subject to maximum of Rs 25 lakh only to the trust/society formed in the memory of the departed leader," according to the new guidelines issued by the Urban Development Ministry.

"One-time grant will be sanctioned to the trusts/societies set up in the memory of departed President/Vice President/Prime Minister/Deputy Prime Minister or any other leader approved by the Cabinet," the order said.

The trusts/societies can develop a samadhi/memorial anywhere in India but if such a thing is done outside Delhi, no plaque will be displayed at Rashtriya Smriti for the same departed national leader. Rashtriya Smriti is a common place on the banks of Yamuna river in Delhi set up for memorials.

"The amount of Rs 25 lakh shall be utilised for the development/construction of samadhi/memorial and not for purchase of land," according to the guidelines.

A four-member committee headed by UD Secretary has been constituted to examine and approve the proposals for the grant.

Maintenance, watch and ward and security of the samadhi/memorials shall be the reponsibility of the trust/society concerned as would be organising remembrance ceremonies.