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Punjab declares Sultanpur Lodhi holy town
The Punjab government has given in-principle approval to declare Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district as a holy town in view of its religious and historical significance, an official said.
The Punjab government has given in-principle approval to declare Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district as a holy town in view of its religious and historical significance, an official said.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday during a meeting of the Sultanpur Lodhi development board.
"Badal has directed the revenue department officials to finalise the modalities to declare Sultanpur Lodhi as holy town at the earliest. He has also asked the chairman of Punjab Powercom to provide 24-hour uninterrupted power supply in the town," a government spokesperson said here Saturday.
Sultanpur Lodhi, one of the ancient towns of India, holds high significance in Sikh religious history. The town has at least seven historical gurudwaras and Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the religion, spent several years of his life there.
During archeological surveys and digging, many monuments, statues and coins related to the Buddhist era were found in Sultanpur Lodhi. The town, which is believed to be established in the first century AD, had also seen many invasions and experienced many ups and downs since its inception.
According to the spokesman, "new roads will be constructed and existing roads will be repaired in Sultanpur Lodhi on top priority, while Rs. 2 crore will be allocated for the execution of sewerage and drinking water schemes".
Badal also directed the concerned officials to release Rs.5.83 crore for flood protection works in the town and also sanctioned Rs.25 lakh for fire brigade services.
As Sultanpur Lodhi will now expect more tourists, Badal announced that the existing bus stand would be modernised to provide better facilities to commuters.
