Panel set up to monitor work on Banda Bahadur memorial in Yamunanagar

The Haryana Government has constituted a high-powered Lohgarh Project Development Committee to monitor work on Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial Centre at Lohgarh in Yamunanagar district.

An official spokesman said CM Nayab Singh Saini had approved a proposal in this regard.

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar will be the Chief Patron of the committee and CM Nayab Singh Saini its Chairman. Prabhleen Singh, OSD, will be the member secretary. The other members include Tourism Minister Arvind Sharma, former Cabinet minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Chief Principal Secretary to CM Rajesh Khullar, former MP Tarlochan Singh, Sikh historian Jaspal Singh, Principal Secretary, Heritage and Tourism Department, Chairman, Haryana State Biodiversity Board Randeep Singh Jauhar, Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, Managing Director of Haryana Tourism Corporation and Chairman Sigma Group Jagdip S Chadha.

The project is set to transform the Lohgarh memorial site into a sprawling complex that not only pays homage to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur but also showcases the rich heritage of the Sikhs.

He said in the first phase, the project would focus on restoring and enhancing the fort, the main gate, and the boundary wall of the complex, spanning 20 acres. A key aspect would be the construction of a state-of-the-art museum.

In the second phase, a global competition would be held to select a design for a giant statue of Banda Bahadur, which will stand as a centrepiece of the complex. A martial arts school would also be set up at Lohgarh.