Ferozepur, May 21, 2018: Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board have disclosed in reply to the RTI to researcher Rakesh Kumar an officer working in the Northern Railway that presently Bhagat Singh’s hide-out at Toori Bazar in Ferozepur is not being developed under various other development projects of Rs.99 crore.
The Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs had declared the building a protected monument on December 17, 2015, under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964. However, no steps have been initiated to take over the building for preservation or to allocate funds for the purpose.
All political leaders on their previous visits to Ferozepur including Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister on March 23 at Hussainiwala and Navjot Singh Sidhu, Cabinet Minister on August 15 during the last year had announced to develop the hideout of Bhagat Singh as a memorial.
Rakesh Kumar, researcher informed that when the information RTI was sought, the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board had stated that the Bhagat Singh’s hide-out is not included in the Rs.99 crore development projects of the state.
However, the projects included are the construction of Tourist Facilitation Centre Saragarhi Memorial, General site development of the area around memorial illumination, beautification of the old railway station and light and sound show for Rs.8 crore, said Rakesh Kumar.
He said it is very unfortunate on the part of the leaders as well as the government for not including the development of hide-out of revolutionaries in Ferozepur. Non-developing of such places will deprive the young generation the sacrifices of the martyrs for the freedom of the country, he added.
The local residents are interested that the hide-out place may be immediately converted into Museum and Library. Punjab Students Union had already organized a number of meetings across Punjab to make people aware of the importance of this building which served as the hideout of the Krntikari Party led by Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Inder Singh Gogia, President, NGOs Coordination Society stated that not only this hideout, there is a long list of various other unfinished projects like PGI Satellite Centre, Astroturf, Government College, Railway Under Bridge, the opening of Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur. The government should start or announce any of the development project by making all formalities such as funds, location etc. as merely announcing the projects would not suffice.