Punjab govt grants VAT exemption to Durgiana Mandir

Chandigarh, Apr 27: The Punjab government has decided to exempt construction material and ration items used for the community kitchen (langar) and 'parsad' prepared in the Sri Durgiana Mandir at Amritsar from VAT on the pattern of the exemption already granted to the Golden Temple.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave these directions to the state Excise and Taxation department This decision was taken in the meeting with the members of the Durgiana Mandir committee led by BJP MLA Anil Joshi with Chief Minister here at Punjab Bhawan.

Conceding the other demands, the Chief Minister also asked the state DGP to depute Amritsar SSP to examine the feasibility of handing over the police post within the complex of Sri Durgiana Mandir to the temple committee. The Mandir committee intends to use the police post building for the construction of a 'dharmshala'.

The Chief Minister also asked the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board to put up a proposal for extension of the elevated road project upto the Goal Bagh near Sri Durgiana Mandir to facilitate the easy flow of devotees to the temple. The elevated road project which is under construction is to connect the Golden Temple to the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway.

The Chief Minister also asked the local government department for setting up of a water treatment plant in the premises of temple for the cleaning of 'sarovar' (holy tank). The Chief Minister also assured the members of the committee that their other genuine demands would also be looked into sympathetically.

Prominent amongst others who were also present included committee President Harnam Dass Arora, Secretaries Satpal Mahajan and Harish Taneja, Manager Ramesh Sharma and Ram Parkash Chopra.

UNI