(Terms creation of new Sikh circuit which she had proposed as a historic development)
Chandigarh, June 2 9 wishavwarta )– Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today thanked union highways minister Nitin Gadkari for acceding to her request to amend the alignment of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway to create a new direct link between Amritsar & Delhi besides creating a Sikh circuit connecting five major Sikh shrines.
Terming the decision as a historic development for the residents of Amritsar as well as Sikhs worldwide, Mrs Harsimrat Badal said it had fulfilled a long standing demand of the residents of Amritsar and was also in tune with the original alignment proposed during SAD-BJP tenure.
The Union minister said now an additional Greenfield highway would be constructed between Kartarpur and Amritsar to ensure direct connectivity between the holy city and Delhi. As per the alignment submitted by the Congress government the expressway was to divert 60 km ahead of Amritsar near Kartarpur and there was a provision for upgrading the existing NH-3 from Kartarpur to Amritsar.
She said under the new alignment which she had proposed, the expressway would now connect the five historic Sikh shrines at Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran and Sri Amritsar Sahib. “It will also be extended to Dera Baba Nanak to facilitate travel to Sri Kartarpur Sahib”, she added.
Meanwhile Mrs Badal also requested the union highways minister to name the expressway between Nakodar and Amritsar in honour of Guru Sahiban. Mr Nitin Gadkari assured to take this request into consideration.
Mrs Badal said the proposed highway would promote religious tourism in a big way by connecting two major shrines of Sri Darbar Sahib at Amritsar with Mata Vaishnoo Devi at Katra. She said the new Sikh circuit would ensure ‘khule darshan deedar’ of important Sikh shrines associated with the Guru Sahiban. “It will also give a boost to the economy of Amritsar”