Pak grants Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 budget for Kartarpur corridor project

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has earmarked Rs 100 crore in the federal budget 2019-20 for the development of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor.  Minister of state for revenue Hammad Azhar presented in Parliament the austerity driven budget for fiscal year 2019-20, which starts from July 1.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev.

The funds will be used for land acquisition and development of infrastructure of Kartarpur under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year 2019-20, Geo TV reported.

According to the data released by Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 300 crore for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Pakistan will build the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur district up to the border will be constructed by India.

According to officials, some 50 per cent of the development work on the four-kilometre stretch being built by Pakistan has been completed.

On November 26 last year, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak - Kartarpur Sahib Corridor (up to the International Border) at an event at Mann village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan laid the foundation stone for the 4-kilometer corridor which is expected to be completed before the end of 2019.