Jalandhar: AAP leaders promise Rs 18 lakh funds for Harivallabh Committee

Jalandhar, January 1

With the conclusion of the 148th three-day Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, the Harivallabh Committee has been promised funds amounting to Rs 18 lakh by the AAP leaders this year. So far, the Harivallabh Committee has been promised a total of Rs 48 lakh from the state government funds that includes Rs 30 lakh from the Punjab Tourism Department.

MP Sushil Rinku was at Chintpurni last evening, but he kept his date with the sangeet sammelan. He turned up at the event in the night and announced Rs 10 lakh from his MPLAD funds just half-an-hour before the clock struck 12 and the New Year ushered in.

While promising the amount, Rinku said funds as demanded for the Harivallabh Bhawan were among priorities of the government and requests for the same had been sent to the Chief Minister. Mentioning committee member Deepak Bali, who is also a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, Rinku promised that funds would be provided upon special request to the CM.

Speaking on the occasion, Rinku said, “Every year, a temporary tent has to be pitched for holding the sangeet sammelan. Arrangements are being made for the construction of a permanent hall in the name of Babaji so that the event can be held without any interruption.”

He said, “Earlier, I gave Rs 5 lakh for sangeet sammelan. This time, I will give Rs 10 lakh from the MPLAD funds. We will try to meet the CM to discuss the issue related of sanction of funds.”

On December 30, Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh visited the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan and promised

Rs 8 lakh as fund. While state Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal could not attend the festival this year, BJP leaders said the issue of funds for the sammelan had been taken up with the authorities concerned. BJP leader KD Bhandari said, “Minister Meghwal was slated to visit the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan. We have also taken up the issue regarding the sanction of Rs 1 crore for the committee with the minister.”

The BJP national executive member, Manoranjan Kalia, former CPS KD Bhandari, district president Sushil Sharma, leaders Ashok Sareen and Raman Pabbi attended the sangeet sammelan this year. From the AAP, Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh, MLA Raman Arora and leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara attended the sammelan on December 30.

Notably, Harivallabh Bhawan has been an ambitious and long-pending project of the Harivallabh Mahasabha. Its construction has been delayed for years. The basic structure with a huge auditorium was constructed with a grant of Rs 1 crore received from former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2007, but escalating costs and expanding wings as per sammelan needs inordinately delayed its completion.