Khatkar Kalan readies for oath-taking ceremony of Bhagwant Mann and his Cabinet

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, March 11

Massive arrangements are afoot for the oath-taking ceremony of CM-designate Bhagwant Mann and his Cabinet at Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr, the venerated native place of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, on March 16.

Preparations on

The preparations are in full swing. A meeting in this regard was held on Friday. The event will include seven acres behind the martyr’s memorial and more nearby land will be utilised, if need be. Vishesh Sarangal, Nawanshahr DC

The martyr’s native village has been chosen as the site for the first ever oath-taking ceremony of a state Chief Minister, which will not be hosted at the Raj Bhavan. Arrangements for 1 lakh people have been made across a 13-acre land behind the martyr’s memorial at Khatkar Kalan inNawanshahr. As many as 6,000 police personnel will be deputed for the set up. While 6.5 acres on the memorial’s property will be used for the pandal, the ceremony’s set up will also extended to the nearby fields.

Gates will be installed on the boundary wall of the memorial, to ensure maximum people could be hosted without being obstructed. Sources said 100 trucks of materials were being brought up to set up the massive pandal for the event.

Help is being sought from five to six other districts to help with setting up the arrangements. Security has been increased at the memorial and a special police post has also been set up ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, the Chief Architect of the state also reached on Friday at the site to draw a plan for the arrangements for the AAP’s government’s oath-taking ceremony.