Paying rich tributes to Banda Bairagi, who sacrificed his life fighting the Mughals in the 18th century, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday announced that in his memory, the state government would raise a big memorial at Lohgarh in Yamunanagar district. According to historical records, Lohgarh was the capital of Banda Bairagi’s realm.
He was addressing the Sehri Khanda Shaurya Divas Samaroh at Khanda village in the district on Saturday. The event was organised by the Bairagi Samaj to commemorate the raising of an army from Khanda Sehri and other nearby villages by Banda Bairagi. He started his war against the Mughal rulers in the area on November 3, 1709.
Listing various welfare and development programmes of the state government, the CM said the state government had constituted the Pond Authority of Haryana for remodelling and preservation of 14,000 ponds in villages in the next two years.
“Around Rs 750 crore will be spent on maintenance, including boundary walls, sheds, paved paths and water facilities, in the cremation grounds in the state,” the CM added.
Haryana Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain, Haryana Minister of State for Cooperation Manish Grover, Sonepat MP Ramesh Kaushik and Dr Raj Singh, IAS officer in the central government and organiser of the programme, also spoke on the occasion.
Referring to the demands of the people of the area, the CM announced the opening of an Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for training the youths.
About 50 acres will be given by the gram panchayat of Khanda village for this institute which is likely to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.
He also announced financial grants of Rs 50 crore for completing many other development projects, including widening of roads and construction of small bridges, in the Kharkhoda Assembly constituency.
The CM also laid the foundation stones of nine projects, including construction of a sub-divisional complex and a sports stadium at Kharkhoda, upgrade of Sonepat-Narela road, construction of water works at Sisana village and PHC at Khanda village and extension of Sonepat Cooperative Sugar Mill. These were estimated to cost about Rs 157 crore.
The occasion was marked by the launch of the mobile medical van service from the village and distribution of cycles among 250 girls under the Community Social Responsibility programme. A cheque of Rs 1.6 crore was handed over to the CM by Vinay Singh, DC, for the Kerala Flood Relief Fund.
