Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today convened a special meeting of the party leaders and SGPC members to review the arrangements of the state level function in the memory of legendary Saint of Bhakti movement Bhagat Namdev Ji at village Ghuman in Gurdaspur district on July 17. Presiding over a meeting to discuss the modalities for the function to be attended by the former Union Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Maharashtra Davendra Fadnavis besides several members of the Sarhad Foundation, intellectuals and academicians from Maharashtra, the Chief Minister asked the organizers to make the function a memorable event so as to pay glorious tribute to Bhagat Namdev JiMeanwhile, the Principal Secretary Higher Education apprised Mr. Badal that Baba Namdev University College at Kisan Kot over an area of 12 acre at a cost of Rs.10 crore would be formally inaugurated in fulfillment of an announcement made by him during the 88th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammellan held on April 3, 2015. Likewise, the Punjab government had already fulfilled another promise by having earmarked 2.50 acre land at village Kisan Kot to be handed over to the Maharashtra government for the construction of ‘Yatri Niwas’ and ‘Bhasha Bhawan’ dedicated to Bhagat Namdev Ji- the exponent of Bhakti Movement. It may be recalled that Bhagat Namdev Ji nearly spent over two decades of his life at village Ghuman and spread the message of oneness of God, love, unity and brotherhood amongst the mankind.
The Chief Minister asked the local leaders, party workers of SAD-BJP and SGPC members to mobilize the people from the nearby districts of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Amritsar at the venue of function so as to elicit their maximum participation.Later, the Chief Minister in a separate meeting also reviewed the arrangements for another state level function, to lay foundation stone of ‘Amar Shaheed Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial’, to be held at Sri Anandpur Sahib on July 18. He asked the local leaders of both the parties and members of SGPC to ensure enthusiastic participation of the people from the adjoining districts of Ropar, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib and Nawanshahar. He also constituted a committee comprising Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Charanjit Singh Atwal, Member Parliament from Sri Anandpur Sahib Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Cabinet Ministers Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal besides Chairman Punjab State Backward Classes Commission Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar as its convener to chalk out the final modalities and logistics for this function.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included; Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Charanjit Singh Atwal, Member Parliament from Sri Anandpur Sahib Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Cabinet Ministers Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal besides Chairman Punjab State Backward Classes Commission Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar, CPS Mr. Manjit Singh Mianwind, former Ministers Mr. Sucha Singh Langah and Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, former MLA Mr. Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, SGPC Member from Sri Anandpur Sahib Mr. Amarjit Singh Chawla, Vice Chancellor Punjabi University Dr. Jaspal Singh, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Principal Secretary Higher Education Dr. Roshan Sunkaria, Principal Secretary Cultural Affairs & Tourism Mrs. Anjali Bhawra, Secretary Coordination Mr. KAP Sinha, Deputy Commissioner Gurdaspur Mr. Pardeep Sabharwal, Deputy Commissioner Ropar Mr. Karunesh Sharma and DPI Colleges Mr. TK Goyal.