Chandigarh, Nov 16: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday marked the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha by announcing a ₹45.84-crore development package for the freedom fighter’s native village. Mann paid floral tributes at the state-level event and said the government will undertake an “overall transformation” of Sarabha to turn it into a model settlement.
Speaking at the commemorative gathering, Mann said the new blueprint aims to overhaul basic infrastructure, expand access to clean drinking water, strengthen sports and defence-training facilities and upgrade public amenities. “We want Sarabha to reflect the ideals this young revolutionary lived and died for,” he noted.
The chief minister also remembered Sarabha’s comrades — Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, Bakhshish Singh, Jagat Singh, Surein Singh (Senior), Shaheed Harnam Singh Sialkoti, and Surein Singh (Junior) — who were executed on the same day. Mann recalled Sarabha’s work with the Ghadar Party, noting that his activism abroad and in India had become a powerful symbol of resistance during the freedom struggle.
Mann urged people across Punjab to attend the programmes scheduled in Anandpur Sahib from November 23 to 25 to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur. The state, he said, will host light-and-sound shows, nagar kirtans, drone shows, kirtan darbars and other events “to spread the Guru’s message of sacrifice and spiritual courage.”
Unveiling key components of the Sarabha development plan, Mann announced that ₹40 crore will be spent on widening the existing two-lane stretch from Lalto Kalan to Sarabha, Raikot and Halwara into a four-lane road. The upgraded route will offer direct access to Halwara Airport, he said.
The blueprint also earmarks ₹2.82 crore for a surface water supply project and ₹2 crore for a 10-metre indoor shooting range. Mann said another ₹10 lakh will be used to renovate the basketball court and ₹3 lakh to build a volleyball court and install benches at the local sports ground. He added that ₹89 lakh has been set aside to modernise the forest nursery.
Mann further announced that a training academy for security and police forces will be established in the village. The academy will also display a decommissioned MiG-21 aircraft from the Air Force Academy, which will be used for pilot-orientation and drone-training sessions.
“Shaheed Sarabha’s courage continues to inspire generations, and this village deserves development that honours his legacy,” Mann said.
