Fateh Burj to be handed over to pvt players for maintenance

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 12

Apparently, finding itself unable to maintain Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial also known as Fateh Burj, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) is going to hand the tallest ‘minar’ of the country to private players soon for its upkeep.

A communiqué in this regard has already been sent to the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDP) by GMADA in which the latter has asked the former to make proper arrangements for the purpose.

Confirming the development, the GMADA chief administrator, Ravi Bhagat, said the communiqué was sent recently. “It is fact that the historical site of ‘Fateh Burj’ is not being properly maintained. Even basic facilities are not being provided to visitors,” said Bhagat.

“So, we have asked the PIDP authorities to find private player/players to look after all affairs of the Fateh Burj at Chappar Chiri,” he added while admitting that several shortcomings were there at the site and it was not being properly maintained by GMADA.

When contacted, the PIDP MD, Husan Lal, said, “We have received the communiqué in this regard. Soon, we will start by appointing a consultant. Afterwards, the process of bidding will be initiated,” Husan Lal said while adding that apart from Fateh Burj the PIDP was assigned similar jobs for ‘Chhota Ghallughara’ memorial at Gurdaspur and ‘Vadda Ghallughara’ memorial at Sangrur.

Visitors often felt disappointed on seeing poor conditions at the site, which had 328 feet high ‘burj’. The previous Akali government had spent public funds running into several crores on the Faterh Burj.

“The lights are non-functional due to which the site plunges into darkness during night hours. Even the beacon atop the ‘burj’ to caution airplanes is lying defunct. Many airplanes fly over/near the ‘burj’. They pass very close to the ‘burj’,” said a staff member at the site.

“Approach roads to the ‘burj’ are in bad shape. The state government, which constructed a theatre at the site by spending lakhs, has so far failed to make a movie on the life of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. The theatre hall and its infrastructure are decaying,” said Zora Singh Bhullar, a resident of Chappar Chiri village.

Meanwhile, GMADA has started work of installing lifts at the ‘burj’. The lifts, which were purchased at the time of construction at the site, kept lying in a storeroom for more than two years due to some fault in the structure.