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Map Of Amritsar
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All
set for Rahul’s Amritsar visit today
Our Correspondent
Amritsar,
The stage for the elections to the Indian Youth Congress (IYC)
is set as All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general
secretary Rahul Gandhi will announce the date for elections
of the Punjab Youth Congress here tomorrow on his second
visit to the state.
Anil Thomas, a member of the IYC and convener for the
elections for 18 blocks of Amritsar district, said
verification of about 3.5 lakh youth, who had enrolled
themselves for the membership of the IYC, would be held on
November 19 and complaints, if any, received the next day.
He said the final list of the members would be sent to
Delhi after scrutiny.
Thomas said the scrutiny of the members would be done by
a seven-member team led by its chairman S.P. Singh from
Haryana. He said three scrutiny team members each from
Amritsar City and Amritsar Rural had been included in the
team which includes Baljinder Singh Thanda, Sadhu Singh,
Jagwinder Pal Singh, Sandeep Gaur, Gurjit Singh Aujla and
Iqbal Singh Sherry.
Murli Shetty from Karnataka and Jaideep Tripathi from
Uttar Pradesh have been appointed district returning
officers.
Iqbal Singh, member, AICC, said the second visit of Rahul
would enthuse party workers in the state for the Lok Sabha
elections in the country as he enjoyed sway over the youth.
Meanwhile, the district administration has made security
arrangements for Rahul’s visit to the city. The advance
team of the Special Protection Group (SPG) has also arrived
in the city for his visit.
Restoration of
Baba Atal
Frescoes found hidden
under bathroom tiles
Our Correspondent
Amritsar,
The heritage experts engaged by the SGPC and the district administration have
found priceless frescoes from the first floor of Baba Atal, the tallest building
of Amritsar, hidden under bathroom tiles put up by Sikh Babas during previous
kar sewa.
The art work is exquisite. Most of the art work, hidden during the kar sewa
can be retrieved though it requires extra care and expertise. The experts are
careful that further damage is not caused while removing marble or bathroom
tiles.
Earlier, the SGPC had entrusted kar sewa to the Sikh Babas who had
“destroyed” the Sikh heritage, much to the chagrin of experts. Deputy
commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu today held a meeting with experts in the Golden
Temple complex after monitoring the restoration work of Baba Atal and Ramgarhia
Bungas.
Earlier, the kar sewa, carried out to repair age-old murals at Gurdwara Baba
Atal, had earned flak from heritage lovers. Interior walls of the first floor
were adorned with murals depicting Sikh history. About 100 panels of murals had
been left on the first floor of the gurdwara, while the rest of them had been
destroyed beyond recognition.
Convener of the Ramgarhia Bhaibandi Onkar Singh Sandu said the restoration
work at the historical Ramgarhia Bungas and Baba Atal in the Golden Temple
complex was in full swing. The DC instructed the experts to ensure that seepage
from the building was stopped to minimise damage.
Built by Sikh warriors in 1794, the four-storey Ramgarhia Bungas had been in
the possession of Sikh Babas who vacated the heritage site when the DC took up
the matter with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
During Operation Bluestar in 1984, these Bungas were damaged and later
renovated by the SGPC and the Ramgarhia Society. Later, some Babas of Kar
Sewawale had done colossal damage to the heritage site by converting a portion
into their abode.
The Kar Sewawale babas had allegedly damaged certain portions of the building
within the precincts of the Darbar Sahib itself. They had built walls under the
arches on the ground floor and fixed doors to convert verandahs into rooms. The
brickwork (Nanakshahi bricks) had been plastered and painted at many places. Due
to hindered ventilation, there is seepage in the basement of the Bunga, which
can damage the building.
While constructing the Bunga, care was taken to provide natural light and
ventilation through ventilators, which open in the path around the sarovar of
the Harmandar Sahib on one side and in the well dug on the other side.
Viability of
Amritsar Airport
Civil
aviation panel’s visit may be delayed
Jet Airways to stop
flights from Dec 1
Our Correspondent
Amritsar,
Due to elections in certain states and top leaders busy
campaigning, the visit of the high-profile civil aviation
panel, formed to look into the viability of Amritsar
international airport, may be delayed.
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) said a five-member
committee was formed at the behest of Navjot Singh Sidhu,
MP, that includes Dr M.S. Gill, minister of state for sports
and youth welfare, Tarlochan Singh, member, Rajya Sabha, R.
Ramalingam, chairman of the AAI, and A.S. Kohli, director,
North Air India, to review the working of the airport due to
the withdrawal of flight schedule by Jet Airways next month.
The airport suffers disparities of landing charges and
the electronic clearance of the duty drawback claims for
cargo export which has forced the leading national and
international airlines to opt out of Amritsar sector in the
coming months.
Sidhu had raised this issue with minister of civil
aviation Praful Patel who set up the five-member committee
last week, but its visit to Amritsar may not take place as
all MPs are busy in electioneering and other commitments.
Praful has also raised the issue of the state government’s
failure to acquire 44 acres for the expansion and
restructuring of the airport.
Meanwhile, the source said R. Ramalingam, chairman, AAI,
was scheduled to retire by the end of next month.
The aviation experts feel that the government has to take
quick decisions to save the airport from becoming unviable
and huge investments on infrastructure going waste.
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