No land allotted for memorials of leaders in last five years: Government

NEW DELHI: There has been no allocation of fund for setting up of memorials of departed national leaders such as Presidents, Vice-Presidents, PMs and deputy PMs in past five years, government told Rajya Sabha Monday.

Quoting two cabinet decision of 2013 and 2014, which contains guidelines on organising the remembrance ceremonies of departed national leaders, MoS for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu said government "may consider to sanction one-time grants-in-aid to trusts/societies, which have been set up for memorials, on a case-to-case basis." This comes against the backdrop of government initiating the process to provide land for memorial of former President Pranab Mukherjee and former PM Manmohan Singh.

YSR Congress MP Parimal Nathwani had asked whether government has a policy for allocation of government land for establishing memorials of national leaders. Sahu, quoting the guidelines, said it included "total ban" on conversion of government bungalows into memorials and development of any Samadhi for departed leaders. The trusts or societies set up in memory of the departed leaders may set up such memorials or samadhis, but the expenses to be incurred in this regard. Nathwani had also asked about details of total memorials approved by government in past five years along with details of land allocated, location, and expenditure incurred, Sahu said, "No such allocation has been done during past five years."