Projects announced for Amritsar district in limbo

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 27

Numerous prestigious projects announced by the Centre in the last eight years (UPA and NDA) for Amritsar have yet not materialised.

Residents said instead of announcing new projects, the Centre must ensure that previous projects see the light of day. The Indian Institute of Management-Amritsar has been running from a rented structure, steps should be taken to construct its own building, said locals.

Even slow progress on Patti-Makhu railway track, which would pave the way for Amritsar- Ferozepur rail link, has perturbed residents. The gazette notification for the land acquisition for the Patti-Makhu rail link was done in April (70.1 hectares in Tarn Taran and 95.68 hectares in Ferozepur). The railway link was conceptualised by the then Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in 2013, which would shorten the distance between Amritsar and Mumbai by 240 km.

The then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced to establish Post-Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education in the city in 2015 and later, he announced to come up with Software Technology Park of India in Amritsar. Both the projects have yet not operationalised.

Last year, the Centre had proposed Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which would include the Sikh circuit with stoppages at Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Locals said the city lost various projects, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Special Economic Zone in the past due to vested interests.

Irked residents said the Centre must chip in financially and get the state government on board to sort out the issues at the earliest.

Nothing in sight

• The then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced to establish Post-Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education in the city in 2015 and later, he announced to come up with Software Technology Park of India in Amritsar. Both projects have yet not operationalised.
• Last year, the Centre had proposed Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which would include the Sikh circuit with stoppages at Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran and Amritsar.
• The city lost various projects, including All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and Special Economic Zone in the past due to vested interests