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Tarn Taran is new district of Punjab

Staff Correspondent

Amarinder announces a package for the district comprising 493 villages carved out of Amritsar

CHANDIGARH: In a tribute to Guru Arjan Dev, whose 400th anniversary of martyrdom is being observed by Sikhs globally, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday, proclaimed Tarn Taran as the 19th district of the State. It will comprise 493 revenue villages of three sub-divisions carved out of the Amritsar district.

Addressing a religious congregation at the "Shaheedi Samaroh", Capt. Singh said his government was performing its duty to elevate the status of Tarn Taran town that had been founded by Guru Arjan Dev 416 years ago and was in a state of neglect due to vested political interests of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Unravelling a special package for the new district, Capt. Singh announced the establishment of a Regional Centre of Sri Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Sciences at Patti, Regional Centre of Guru Nanak Dev University at Valtoha, College of Physical Education at Patti and a College of Engineering and Architecture at Khadoor Sahib. He also announced the decision to set up an agri-based mega project at Goindwal Sahib.

Besides, Capt. Singh announced a 500 MW thermal plant to be set up at Goindwal Sahib at a cost of Rs. 2700 crores for which a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the GVK Group of Industries and the Punjab Government. He further announced that the road between Tarn Taran and Amritsar would be widened and renamed Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Marg. A railway over-bridge at Tarn Taran-Jandiala at a cost of Rs.20 crore and setting up of Tarn Taran Development Board were among various other announcements, which included a grant of Rs1.15 crore and Rs. 388.33 crore for provision of 100 per cent drinking water supply and sewerage facility, respectively.

As a goodwill gesture, the Chief Minister also announced a one-year special remission for prisoners who had been convicted by courts across the State and confined in the jails as on June 16, 2006.

Earlier, Capt. Singh paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, president of the state unit of the Congress, Shamsher Singh Dullo, and Local Government Minister Jagjit Singh.

The manager of the shrine, Gurdip Singh, presented a siropa (robe of religious honour) to the Chief Minister.

Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi, in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, also paid tributes to Guru Arjan Dev and lauded the Sikh community for making supreme sacrifices for the defence of the country.

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