Now Reading: Punjab CM Mann lays foundation of Guru Ravidas centre
-
01
Punjab CM Mann lays foundation of Guru Ravidas centre
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Guru Ravidas Bani Adhyayan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar. The centre, to be built on 10.4 acres…
The Story in Brief
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Guru Ravidas Bani Adhyayan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar. The centre, to be built on 10.4 acres at a cost of Rs 37 crore (including Rs 11 crore for land), will have teaching blocks, hostels for 54 students each, and staff quarters. It is part of the state government’s year-long celebrations of the 650th Parkash Purab of Guru Ravidas, for which Rs 100 crore has been earmarked.
The project has been caught in a political credit war between the AAP and Congress. Originally announced in 2021 by then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi with a Rs 50-crore grant, the AAP government withdrew the funding after coming to power in 2022, only to revive it in 2023. The Dera Sachkhand Ballan wields significant influence among the Dalit community in Punjab’s Doaba region, which has 23 assembly constituencies.
The Indian Opinion
The political tug-of-war over this centre, between Congress claiming it as their idea and AAP reviving it for votes, ignores the real question: will it become a genuine academic hub or just another photo-op? Both parties have used the Dera’s influence among Dalits in Doaba, but the focus must be on quality research and teaching. Watch for the number of research scholars enrolled in the first year to tell if this is substance or symbolism.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
