Amarinder seeks more flights to Amritsar ahead of Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary

Ahead of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday sought more flights to Amritsar from countries with a large population of Punjabi community.

The Chief Minister has written to Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri urging him to prevail upon airline operators, including Air India, to schedule more special international flights to Amritsar in order to facilitate `khule darshan didar' during the historic occasion.

Singh said that more flights by from countries like UK, Canada, the US, Germany besides Italy, Australia and New Zealand, during the celebrations would facilitate devotees from across the globe to visit and pay obeisance at Sultanpur Lodhi and Dera Baba Nanak, amongst other religious places in the state.

According to an official release, he said the state and its people were geared up to celebrate the iconic moment in a befitting manner.

"Elaborate programmes, as well as infrastructure and development projects dedicated to Guru Sahib's memory, had been designed for the occasion," the Chief Minister said.

According to an official release, Singh also reviewed the schedule of the activities to be held from November 1 to 15.

He has asked the Chief Secretary to issue necessary directions to all the departments for carrying the official logo of the 550th Prakash Purb on all stationery of the State Government during the celebration period.

The high-level review meeting decided that a Group of Ministers, Members of Parliament and MLAs of Doaba region would jointly welcome the maiden special intercity express train arriving from New Delhi at Sultanpur Lodhi on October 4.

"It was also decided that the main events would be held in the historic cities of Sultanpur Lodhi, Dera Baba Nanak and Amritsar. An international conference on Guru Nanak's philosophy of peace, harmony and human happiness would be orgsed at Chandigarh in the first week of November," an official release said.

The main event would be orgsed at Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12 with the multi-media and sound show near the main pandal to continue till November 15.

The foundation stone of the National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies at GNDU would be laid on November 8, with `Ik-Noor Inter Faith' conclave.

After opening of Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, the Chief Minister would felicitate 550 prominent personalities of all walks of life at Guru Nanak Dev Auditorium in Kapurthala.

The Guru Nanak Literature Festival and other major events would be held at Dera Baba Nanak on November 10.

( With inputs from ANI )