Punjab CM Amarinder Singh unveils logo for 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday virtually unveiled the logo of the state-level 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The celebrations are slated to be held in April-May 2021.

Born on April 1, 1621, Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of 10 Gurus of the Sikh religion. He was executed in 1675 under the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Chairing a meeting of the executive committee for the celebrations, the chief minister suggested dedicating the year-long celebrations to the 'Hind Di Chaddar' as 'Sarv Dharam' year to mark the secular character of the nation.

It was tentatively decided at the virtual meeting that the main programme should commence on April 23 next year and culminate on May 1 in a grand event, according to a government statement.

A 'nagar kirtan' (Sikh religious procession) will be held on April 23, starting from Guru Tegh Bahadur ji's birth place at Guru Ka Mahal in Amritsar and arriving at Baba Bakala to mark the launch of the event.

He directed Tourism Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to prepare a proposal of works to be undertaken to commemorate the historic occasion.

The chief minister said special development works should be undertaken in all the 103 rural and urban areas of the state associated with Guru Tegh Bahadur.

He suggested allocation of Rs 40 to 50 lakh for each of the 80 villages and Rs 1 crore for development of the 23 urban areas in this respect.

Amarinder accepted the suggestion of Vidhan Sabha Speaker and MLA K P Rana that separate development projects and funds should be earmarked for Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib, the two towns associated with the great Guru.

Meanwhile, the chief minister dedicated two 66 KV grid sub-stations, in Mansa and Mohali districts to the people of Punjab through video-conference.