At Jang-e-Azadi memorial, no proper facilities for visitors yet

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 8

Even as the state government has hurriedly inaugurated the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial at Kartarpur, it is yet to be thrown open to the public in a proper manner.

Officials are not denying entry to the visitors, especially since many people commuting on Jalandhar-Amritsar road, have begun making a halt here after reading reports of its opening, but they do not have access to the movie theatre in the complex.

There are no guides as of now to take visitors around the building. The basic requirements such as lavatories remain closed. The food court is yet to be outsourced.

Many believe that the authorities have rather opened up the gallery in much hurry and could have easily taken about 15-20 days more for a proper opening.

The authorities are still getting the mess cleaned up that occurred after the function on Sunday. “People are coming, but it is all chaotic at this time. We are not stopping anyone from entering the memorial,” said Chief Execuitive Officer (CEO) of the project, Vinay Bublani. While only one gallery has been set up as of now, the items to be displayed in the galleries are still being fixed. A new imaging technology based on invasive technique too is being installed at another gallery.

Asked if there will be any tickets to be charged from visitors once things were in place, Bublani said, “We have yet not discussed that”. He, however, said that maintenance contract was a part of the already chalked out plan. “We are to appoint guides who will take the visitors to the tour around, plan show timings for them upon their entry. The outer food court is to be outsourced but we are in the process of starting a new food court within the main complex,” he said.