Punjab CM to inaugurate ‘incomplete’ Sri Khuralgarh Sahib memorial in Garhshankar today

Deepkamal Kaur

Hoshiarpur, February 23

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate a memorial at Sri Khuralgarh Sahib in the Garhshankar area on Guru Ravidas Jayanti on Saturday, but the structure remains incomplete even after around eight years.

The foundation stone of the monument, to be built at a cost of Rs 110 crore, was laid by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in April 2016.

Work done so far

• The stone of the monument, to be built at a cost of Rs 110 crore, was laid by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in April 2016
• However, only the basic outer structure of the monument has been completed so far
• A hall, which can accommodate over 10,000 devotees, has been readied, but the iconic 151-foot-tall Minar-e-Begampura remains incomplete
• The outer facade of a 500-seat auditorium has been readied, but no equipment has been installed yet

Rs 63 cr more needed

While Rs 84 crore has already been invested in the memorial, it is estimated that there is a requirement of additional Rs 63 crore to furnish the galleries, the museum and the auditorium. Officials claim that since 90% of the civil works have been done, the CM will inaugurate a part of it on Saturday.

However, only the basic outer structure of the monument has been completed so far. A hall, which can accommodate over 10,000 devotees, has been readied, but the iconic 151-foot-tall Minar-e-Begampura still remains incomplete.

The outer facade of a 500-seat auditorium has been readied, but no equipment has been installed yet. The work on setting up a museum on the life of the guru also remains pending.

“A number of politicians have got various events organised here over the past eight years, but no one could lend a push to its construction work. Former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and former Tourism Minister Aruna Chaudhary got events organised here, but the project remains pending. Other than the infrastructural work at the memorial site, other basic amenities also remain missing. The road to the site is only 16-foot-wide. The memorial gets water supply via tankers as the tubewell installed there does not have a power connection,” said Garhshankar-based leader Nimisha Mehta.

AAP MLA from Garhshankar and Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan S Rouri said, “We understand that a lot of work remains pending at the site. For the same reason, the CM and his teams will be visiting the site. We are expecting some announcements to be made there.”