Navjot Singh Sidhu (Express photo by Kamleshwar Singh)
Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday claimed that the Centre had turned down Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s demand for special financial assistance of Rs 2145 crore for commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The CM’s office, meanwhile, said that they had no such intimation from the Centre.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Sidhu said that he learnt during his meeting with Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma on Friday that Punjab’s demand for financial assistance was rejected during the July 30 meeting of National Implementation Committee (NIC) for commemorations during 2018-19.
Producing a copy of the minutes of this meeting that said the “CM’s proposal for special financial assistance of Rs 2145 crore (Rs 1050 crore for commemorative projects and and Rs 1095 crore for infrastructure) cannot be met from existing budget of Rs 100 crore of the Culture Ministry”, Sidhu claimed Dr Sharma later told him privately that out of Rs 100 crore, they had already committed Rs 65 crore for other projects across the country. “He told me ‘janamdin manayenge zaroor’,” added Sidhu.
Sidhu also said there was no representative of Punjab government in the July 30 meeting. “We were not informed about the meeting,” he said.
Raveen Thukral, media adviser to Chief Minister, said there was no information by the Government of India to the CM about such a rejection.
He said the government will take up the case with the Centre.
The Local Bodies Minister said they had demanded Rs 100 crore for Jallianwala Bagh, which was in dilapidated state. He said Rs 7.61 crore was received by the state government for the heritage building in 2008. “But we are not getting the permission from GOI to utilise this money,” he claimed.
He said that with only six months left for the Jallianwala massacre anniversary on April 13 but the work had not started yet. “We have a roadmap. We want to start a laser show and have already got in touch with noted lyricist Gulzar for his voice for light and sound show. But we do not have money.
But, Sidhu said, “They gave Lal Qila to a private company on contract. We will not allow this. We will not allow any plaque or a banner of a private company there.” The Centre had earlier asked for a list of heritage buildings that could be handed over to private companies for adoption.
The minister also said he would take in the next Cabinet meeting the issue of funds for these commemorative events.