National memorial site, Kisan Ghat… Where will Manmohan Singh’s memorial site be built, why is there a problem? Trending Global News

New Delhi: A place is being sought for the memorial of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Discussions between the government and his family are ongoing. Places like Kisan Ghat, National Monument are being considered. All these places are on the banks of Yamuna river. The decision is expected in a few days. The process of construction of this monument, distribution of land and how maintenance will be taken care of, all this is also under discussion.

‘Government gave place for memorial’

BJP president JP Nadda said on Saturday that the government has given space for Singh’s memorial. His family has also been informed. However, the location has not been disclosed. Sources say that information will be available soon. Normally, the site for the memorial is given to a society, an official source said. He is also responsible for development and maintenance. This process will take some time.

‘Congress asked for more land’

In an interview to a private TV channel, Union Minister Hardeep Puri said that there is space for two more tombs in the national monument. There are tombs of four former presidents and three former prime ministers. He said, ‘Congress had asked for more space, which was accepted.’ This shows that the government is considering giving a bigger space for the former prime minister’s memorial.

Considering the scarcity of land in Delhi, in 2000 the central government decided not to build new monuments. The Raj Ghat complex has 18 monuments of former presidents, prime ministers and deputy prime ministers. Exceptions are the memorials of Sanjay Gandhi and Lalitha Shastri, wife of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

What do the rules say?

According to the sources, as per the rules, Manmohan Singh’s memorial should be built in the National Memorial. However, allocation of space will be a political decision. The area near the Ekta Stall was reserved for the funerals and memorials of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers. This decision has been taken in view of the dwindling land in the capital.

Although the government decided in 2000 not to build any more memorials, it took 13 years to decide on a place for such individuals. Earlier, separate monuments were built for national leaders. Monuments like Raj Ghat, Shanti Van, Shakti Sathal, Veer Bhoomi, Ekta Stal, Samita Stal and Kisan Ghat are spread over 245 acres of land. The construction of the memorial site was completed in 2015. Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s mausoleum was the first to be built here, though his family had to wait for 10 years.