NEW DELHI: Government has earmarked 1.5 acres at Rashtriya Smriti complex in the national capital for Manmohan Singh’s memorial, to be built adjacent to the site carved out for former President Pranab Mukherjee’s samadhi.
The ministry of housing and urban affairs has officially informed the family of the late prime minister about the decision and requested them to register a trust – a mandatory requirement for allocation of public land – so that procedural formalities can be completed.
Earlier this month, govt officials visited Rashtriya Smriti after the Centre announced a memorial for Singh.
Singh’s family members have been requested to inspect the site; they are yet to, sources said. Since the family is in mourning, members have not taken a decision on the govt’s offer, they added.
‘Singh kin to decide on type of memorial they want’
This is likely to take time. The family will be discussing what kind of a memorial they want to construct, and then will intimate to the govt,” said one of them.
Rashtriya Smriti was developed along the Yamuna bank as a common site for last rites and memorials of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Prime Ministers and former Presidents, ex-VPs and former PMs. At present, there are memorials of seven leaders, including former PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee, P V Narasimha Rao, Chandra Sekhar and I K Gujral, at the complex. The remaining two sites have now been earmarked for Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukhrejee.
On Jan 3, TOI had reported that officials, including urban affairs secretary K Srinivas, had visited the Rashtriya Smriti complex a day before. Later that evening, he had met the family members of the former PM. It was also reported that govt will take the family’s consent before allotting the land to the trust which will build the memorial.
Officials said so far, there have only been samadhis at Rashtriya Smriti, adding that no building can be constructed.
