Sarabha (Ludhiana):Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday batted for conferring Bharat Ratna award to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and other legendary martyrs who had sacrificed their lives during the national freedom struggle.
Addressing the gathering here during a state level function to mark the martyrdom day of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha here at his native village, the Chief Minister said that bestowing the Bharat Ratna award to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai and others will enhance the prestige of this award. He said that these great martyrs really deserve this award because they had made supreme sacrifices for emancipating the country from foreign clutches, adding he urged the Government of India (GoI) to confer this award to them. Bhagwant Mann also demanded national martyr status for Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha adding that the state government will flag this issue with the centre.
The Chief Minister said that due to strenuous efforts of the state government, the Mohali airport has been named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. He said that a notification to this regard has already been issued by the Union government. Bhagwant Mann further said that naming the airports, universities and other institutions in the name of these iconic martyrs is important to perpetuate their glorious legacy.
The Chief Minister said that the state government will soon complete the construction work of the civil air terminal at Halwara airport. He said that this work will be accomplished at a cost of around Rs 50 crore over an area of 161 acre. Bhagwant Mann said that this project will further put Punjab on the map of air connectivity and save time, money and energy of the commuters.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also visited the ancestral house of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and paid floral tributes to the martyr.