Rs 208 lakh spent on Morarji Desai memorial

New Delhi, Dec 5 (UNI) The government has spent Rs 208 lakh on the construction and upkeep of Abhay Ghat, the memorial of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, in Ahmedabad, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni said today.

She told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour that the land for the purpose was given by a trust--the Goshala Trust.

The memorial has been constructed on the banks of Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. The construction work started in July 1997 and was completed in March 1999.

Ms Ambika Soni did not answer a specific query on how much money and time had the government spent on the memorials of other former Prime Ministers as well as the land allotted to the memorials, but rejected the ''insinuation'' that the government had discriminated between the former Prime Ministers who belonged to the Congress and those from other Parties.

Asked whether the government was planning to publish a list of or construct memorials to unknown freedom figheters who took part in India's first Freedom Struggle in 1857, the Minister said a National Committee had been constituted under the Prime Minister to look into the issue.

The proposal also came up before the Committee and it had been decided to carry it (the proposal) forward.

UNI RB MIR HT1307