Infrastructure projects in Sultanpur Lodhi to begin soon: Hardeep Puri to Amarinder Singh

CHANDIGARH: Ahead of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary, the Centre will initiate work on the infrastructure development of Sultanpur Lodhi as proposed by the Punjab Government at the earliest, union minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday.
Amarinder met with Puri, minister of state for civil aviation, with independent charge of ministry of housing and urban affairs, in Delhi to press for early approval for the Rs 321 crore infrastructure development projects proposed by the state government for Sultanpur Lodhi town.The town holds historical significance due to its association with Guru Nanak Dev.
Puri said he had already instructed the department to immediate vet the proposals and secure the necessary approvals to start work on priority, an official spokesperson said after the meeting. Punjab requested for inclusion of the three Municipal Corporation towns of Patiala, Bathinda and SAS Nagar in Smart Cities Project being assisted by Government of India on sharing basis.
Earlier, during the meeting, Amarinder said Patiala, besides being an old heritage city and capital of the erstwhile PEPSU, had also been declared as Counter-Magnet Town to NCR by the NCR Planning Board. Strengthening infrastructure in all the Counter-Magnet towns would also help in reducing migration to Delhi, he pointed out.
Amarinder also urged Puri to approve early clearance for NCRPB loan for Patiala Nadi Hydrology project, for which the state government would soon submit a formal proposal. Bathinda, he said, was a fast-growing and principal town in southern Punjab, SAS Nagar (Mohali) was a satellite town of Chandigarh with the highest growth potential in Punjab.
Amarinder sought inclusion of Chandigarh under the Open Skies Policy for ASEAN Countries, while asking for urgent review of the current policy of bilateral spots to facilitate more international flights out of Chandigarh, especially to Gulf countries and Turkey, thereby enabling greater connectivity with the rest of the world. He urged the minister to liberalise bilateral rights to enable the civil aviation sector to grow.
Amarinder also asked the Union Minister to consider the proposal to name Adampur Airport as Jalandhar Airport for easy booking of flights by tourists and NRIs. The Union Minister immediately instructed department officials to explore ways of making the change.
During the meeting, Puri raised the issue of implementation of the central government schemes, particularly Swacchhta Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, to which Amarinder assured of the state’s full cooperation. Puri presented his book ‘Delusional Politics.’