Chandigarh, February 10
The Punjab government has decided to deploy Punjab police in Maharastra, besides assisting them with equipment, vehicles and other resources for the 300th Guruta Gaddi Divas of Guru Granth Sahib at Nanded.
The decision was taken today in New Delhi at a meeting of a committee that included Punjab Chief Minister and union home minister Shivraj Patil, who is chairman of this committee on Guruta Gaddi Divas celebrations.
About 12 lakh devotees are expected to attend the week-long celebrations at Takht Sri Sach Khand Hazoor Sahib, commencing from October 28 to November 4. The committee also finalised the programme, which includes “maha ishnan” on October 28, Diwali on October 29, nagar kirtan October 30, “parlok gaman” of Guru Goind Singh on November 3 and another nagar kirtan on November 4.
The Chief Minister urged Patil to immediately release funds to the tune of Rs 200 crore for the development of the historic towns of Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, besides timely allocation of funds for early completion of the Guru Gobind Singh Marg from Anandpur Sahib to Nanded Sahib (Maharashtra).
Patil pointed out that a national seminar about the significance and relevance of the occasion would be shortly held in New Delhi. He stated that Rs 1,420 crore would be jointly spent by the Government of India and the state governments of Maharashtra and Punjab for the tercentenary celebrations of the Guruta Gaddi Divas.
Earlier, the Chief Minister paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of Takht Sri Sachkhand Hazoor Sahib and also visited the on-going gurdwara complex development project being implemented at a cost of Rs 115 crore as part of the celebrations. He also handed over the keys of the houses to members of the families who had been displaced due to the beautification plan around Gurdwara Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib.
Prominent among those present at the meeting included union minister for tourism and culture Ambika Soni, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Governor, Tamil Nadu, Surjit Singh Barnala and special principal secretary K.G.S. Cheema.
