PM arrives in home-town on two-day visit to Punjab

Amritsar, Dec 19 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in this holy city tonight on a two-day visit to Punjab during which he will launch some major development projects in his home-state, due to go to polls early next year.

The Prime Minister, who arrived here by a special Air Force plane, along with his wife Gursharan Kaur, was received at the Raja Sansi airport by Punjab Governor Gen (Retd) S F Rodrigues, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his cabinet colleagues.

Tight security arrangements have been made at Circuit House here, where Mr Singh will stay during his tour. He was scheduled to pay a visit to Jallianwalla Bagh early morning tomorrow to pay homage to the martyrs.

He alongwith his wife will then proceed to Golden Temple, where they would listen to the Gurbani in the sanctum sanctorum.

The SGPC will honour Dr Singh with a traditional 'siropa' (robe of honour). It also plans to submit a memorandum to him seeking, among other things, an end to the ''black list,'' which banned some Sikh youths from visiting the country, the SGPC sources said. They also want travel concessions for pilgrims visiting all the five 'Takhts'.

They will also pay obeisance at the famous Durgiana Temple.

Dr Singh has a hectic day ahead with the Congress, aiming to take the maximum mileage out of the Prime Minister's visit, organising a major rally. Dr Singh will also inaugurate the four-laning of the Amritsar-Wagah road and make a formal announcement of the mega-project to strengthen the Wagah Joint Border Check Post.

His other major engagement in this historic city included the ''change of guard'' at the 18th century Gobindgarh Fort as Dr Singh takes the keys of the fort from the Panthers Division GOC Major Gen K M S Shergill and hands it over to the Deputy Commissioner, in the presence of the Chief Minister.

The Fort has been occupied by a number of masters from Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the infamous British commander Brig-Gen R E H Dyer and has been under the care of Indian Army ever since Independence.

He will also lay the foundation-stone of the 600-MW Thermal power plant in Goindwal town of Amritsar district by remote control.

This holy city has been selected under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) and the the Prime Minister would launch the multi-crore project during the visit.

However, the Dr Singh's visit to Jalandhar, to meet a group of progressive farmers at the Jallowal, known for the world's largest citric nursery project and another brief halt at Ludhiana to lay foundation stone for the upgradation of the Halwara Airport, have been cancelled.

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