Ekta Sthal to be a common memorial site for leaders

The memorial site will come up in Ekta Sthal, located between Shanti Van and Vijay Ghat, along Rajghat in the city.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) officials said the plan was mooted keeping in mind the lack of space in the city. Instead of building individual samadhis, plaques will be placed in honour of such leaders, the officials said.

The Union Urban Development Ministry, the nodal agency for land allotment and maintenance of memorial sites, has proposed that the common site that would be known as Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.

"We have started preparing estimates for this project. The work is expected to start in another six months and will take around two years to complete. This project was cleared by the Union Cabinet," a CPWD official said.

According to officials, there will be a raised platform where the cremation will be carried out. This platform will be surrounded greenery on three sides.

"It has been proposed that the cremation of presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers will be carried out at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on a common platform. A stone plaque with encryptions of the date of birth and death of the leader will be placed along the area so that people can pay their respects to the leaders,'' the official said.

A common memorial site was proposed following concerns over shrinking land space in the capital and the huge amount of money spent on the upkeep of samadhis.

"Another concern that was raised is that we did not want this area to be converted into a cremation ground. We wanted to develop it as a garden which people can visit and walk around,'' the CPWD official said.

The memorial site will be built keeping in mind the requirements of space and will be befitting the stature of dignitaries. It will also help streamline the maintenance and cut down on expenses, the official said.

The Urban Development ministry is also carrying out work to create an integrated path through all the samadhis.

"Proper signages will also be put up. A lot of people visiting this area tend to get lost here. To ensure that they can access the area without any trouble, a proper path will be built along the area,'' the official said.

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