Rs 115-cr facelift for Durgiana Mandir, Deputy CM lays stone

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 27

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today laid the foundation stone of Rs115-crore Durgiana Mandir beautification project.

In his address on the occasion, he said the Akali Dal under the leadership of Parkash Singh Badal had been continuing the Sikh tradition of giving equal respect to all faiths.

Elaborating his plans to turn Amritsar into a tourism hub, he said the beautification of the area around Durgiana Mandir and the Golden Temple and the Rs250-crore project to give a facelift to Gobindgarh Fort would further strengthen Amritsar’s status among the tourist destinations.

He said the state government would hold talks with Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to let Amritsar host an international summit in which more than 30 ministers of various countries would take part in December.

The Deputy CM was felicitated by the Durgiana Mandir Management Committee. He was accompanied by Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi and SAD district president Gurpratap Singh Tikka.

‘AAP here to make money’

Sukhbir claimed that the murky episode of AAP state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur “accepting bribe” in lieu of party ticket had proved the Akali Dal’s charge that AAP took money from its candidates. He alleged that it also vindicated their stance that AAP had come to make money by selling ticket and accepting donations in the run up to the state Assembly elections.

He also lashed out at PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh for remaining “absent” from Amritsar despite being the elected representative from the Lok Sabha seat here.