Punjab government intends to make available the jail diary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, free of cost in all the schools of the state.
Stating this during the inspection of the expansion project of Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh museum at village KhatkarKalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, the tourism, cultural affairs and local government minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu said he would give Rs 25 lakh from his department for making it possible.
He said in order to make available the jail diary of Bhagat Singh free of cost in all the schools of the state, he is in touch with the nephew of the martyr, Abhay Singh Sandhu.
Bhagat Singh’s jail diary has been published by Kulbir Singh Memorial Foundation. The book is available in Punjabi and Hindi translations. The published diary has all the original letters written by Bhagat Singh and several notes prepared by him in jail. It also has original pictures in it.
Born on September 28, 1907, Bhagat Singh was sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case, along with other freedom fighters Rajguru and Sukhdev.
Sidhu said the state government would observe the martyrdom day of celebrated freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on 23 March as the ‘Youth Empowerment Day’.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be requested to commemorate the 23 March as ‘Youth Empowerment Day’ on national scale.
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Sidhu said since Bhagat Singh is a revered national hero, Punjab government considering him a youth icon, would institute ‘ Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh Award for Youth’.
Handing over the cheque worth Rs 2 Crore, sent by the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for completing the expansion work of Bhagat Singh museum, the minister said he has also sought additional Rs 8 Crore from the Union government for the beautification of the surroundings of the museum.
Sidhu said the CM Amarinder would dedicate the museum to public on 23 March. The minister said that a cafeteria plus a toilet block would also come up at the Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh museum.
Directing the all four Municipal Councils of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district to reserve half percent cess each in their respective budgets for better maintenance of the Ancestral house of the martyr at KhatkarKalan, Park and Museum, said that this measure would ensure that no stone is left unturned in the proper maintenance of the places.