In wake of ever increasing number of Sikh pilgrims consequently creating acute accommodation shortage, Pakistan government has proposed to erect a Tent City in Nankana Sahib, birth place of Sikh’s first master Guru Nanak Dev, on the lines of Tent City of Mina located near holy city of Mecca. Besides the Pakistan government has also constituted a committee for chalking out final plans of inauguration of proposed Baba Guru Nanak International University at Nankana Sahib.
While talking to TOI over phone from Quetta on Monday , Chairperson, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the governing body of evacuee properties belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities which were left in Pakistan following Indo Pak partition, Siddiq ul Farooq told “The number of Sikh devotees arriving Pakistan on various Gurpurab’s has increased manifold but not the accommodation so we have decided to erect a Tent City on the lines of Tent City of Mina” adding that the proposed Tent City would be erected at Nankana Sahib. “We have earmarked the suitable land for the purpose ” he said.
Giving details about the tent accommodation proposed for Sikh devotees, he said special fibreglass material coated with Teflon would be used for construction of temporary accommodation to ensure safety from fire besides air cooling and air conditioning would also be provided along with moveable toilets.
He said ETPB had also begun construction of 200 rooms in Gurdwara Nanakan Sahib complex to meet the accommodation demand of Sikh yatree’s.
Chairman, ETPB ,which is also considered as parent body of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, informed that he had scheduled a meeting with Director General , Lahore Development Authority for finalizing plans for inauguration of Baba Guru Nanak International University. “We have also constituted a committee comprising of Sikh MP Ramesh Singh Arora, members of PSGPC and ETPB to take final call on inauguration of the university” he said . He said they would enrol faculty members from around the world for imparting education on various languages including Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit , Urdu etc. . “This will be a modern university and we have earmarked land for the purpose” he said.
Divulging ETPB’s plans for increasing its income Saddiq said the ETPB was in process of construction of multiplexes on its properties to add to its income which could be spent on various developmental work. “We have talked to the stake holders and have chalked out an elaborate plan which we have started implementing” he said.
Details: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Tent-City-for-Sikh-pilgrims-at-Nankana-Sahib-proposed/articleshow/49988163.cms