Urban Haat yet to be thrown open to public

AMRITSAR: Even as Urban Haat a replica of the Food Street in Lahore successfully hosted Amritsar heritage festival in May but its opening has been delayed yet again

Updated At : 07:24 AM Aug 13, 2016 IST

Urban Haat in Amritsar where a food street will come up. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 12

Even as Urban Haat, a replica of the Food Street in Lahore, successfully hosted Amritsar heritage festival in May, but its opening has been delayed yet again.

Sources said the entire building was ready, but it is awaiting inauguration. They said the project like others would be thrown open for the public close to the Assembly elections. “Besides, the government is also searching for a suitable private operator to run the project,” they said.

The project has missed opening many a time. Last time, it was scheduled to open in July. Earlier, the government had announced the inauguration by Basakhi, but it failed to do so.

The colonial era building was originally a hospital. As much as nine crore was spent on the renovation of the structure.

Urban Haat will have 19 food stalls, 32 craft shops, a Punjab government emporium and a coffee shop.

Famous eateries of Punjab have been invited to set up their stalls at the food street. The aim is popularise Urban Haat as a tourist destination.

The government renovated an abandoned 124-year-old colonial building of Victoria Jubilee (VJ) Hospital to set up Urban Haat. The site, which is 1 km from the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh, will attract tourists. Spread over 4.5 acre, Urban Haat has been divided into five blocks.

Eight suites, guest rooms and dormitories have been built to accommodate visiting artistes and troupes in block A. The medical superintendent’s house has been converted into a plaza with ticketing and security counters.

The B block will house articles exhibiting Punjab’s rich culture and heritage, a souvenir shop, an ATM and other public utilities. The food court that will cater to 450 persons has been built in blocks C and D. Authentic Amritsari cuisine will be served here. Around 20 modular kitchens have been readied at the back of the blocks. The site was developed in consultation with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

The project will encourage visitors to prolong their stay in the holy city, who generally leave after visiting the Golden Temple and watching the Retreat Ceremony at the Attari-Wagah Border. The work on the project started in December 2013.