Pak allocates Rs100 cr for corridor

Islamabad, June 11

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has earmarked Rs 100 crore in the federal budget 2019-20 for the development of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak.

The funds will be usedfor land acquisition and development of infrastructure of Kartarpur under the Public Sector Development Programme for the next financial year 2019-20, Geo TV reported.

According to the data released by the Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 300 crore for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

According to officials, some 50 per cent of the development work on the 4-km stretch being built by Pakistan has been completed.

On November 26 last year, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib corridor (up to the international border) at an event at Mann village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone for the 4-km corridor, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2019. — PTI