E-Paper
301 Mohali residents get clearance to visit Kartarpur Sahib
The Kartarpur Corridor allows Indian pilgrims visa-free access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
As many 301 residents of Mohali district have applied to travel through the Kartarpur Corridor to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. While the Mohali administration processed 392 applications, it cleared 301, while another 73 are pending.
The trans-border corridor allows Indian pilgrims with passports visa-free access to the gurdwara in Pakistan’s Narowal district, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last 18 years of his life.
Each visitor is required to pay US Dollars 20 as a service charge, levied in Pakistan.
Mohali additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Sakshi Sawhney said, “After scrutinisation of applications, 301 residents have been given permission to cross over the border to visit Kartarpur. Another 73 applications are pending, and will be processed after November 12.”
On the meagre response from the district, she said there appeared to be lack of awareness regarding applying for the corridor access. “Besides, there also seems to be lack of awareness among citizens regarding boarding and lodging at Dera Baba Nanak from where pilgrims will cross over the border to Pakistan and cover the 4.5km to reach the gurdwara,” she said.
Joginder Singh Sondhi , president of Sikh Gurdwara Coordination Committee, Mohali, said residents were also confused whether they needed a passport or not.
“They are also not aware of lodging facilities at Dera Baba Nanak during the night before going to Pakistan and after returning. We are working to spread awareness in this regard,” he said.
Even though, on November 6, the Punjab government had announced to run free buses from every district of Punjab to Sultanpur Lodhi, where Gurudwara Ber Sahib is located,the authorities concerned have not sanctioned any bus from Mohali.
Transport secretary Sukhvinder Singh said, “We had orders to arrange 100 buses only for Chamkaur Sahib, which we completed successfully, but we have no direction or provision to arrange buses for Sultanpur Lodhi.”
