CHANDIGARH: In a major step to strengthen pilgrimage infrastructure and promote environmental sustainability, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Monday announced comprehensive arrangements, including a permanent all-weather tent city, for the ongoing Hola Mohalla celebrations at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains unveiled a series of landmark initiatives, including India’s first permanent air-conditioned tent city and the observance of Green Hola Mohalla. “The permanent tent city was conceived after the success of a temporary structure last year and a subsequent inspection by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, following which the facility has now been established in the holy city, ” he added.
The Education Minister said, “This is a historic moment for Punjab’s religious tourism. We are dedicating a permanent, fully air-conditioned tent city to the public today. This facility, the first of its kind in the country, will address the accommodation shortage faced by devotees year-round. It will not only serve pilgrims under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme but also provide a significant fillip to Sri Anandpur Sahib’s tourism potential, offering visitors an experience of a lifetime.”
Reaffirming the Bhagwant Mann Government’s commitment to environmental conservation, S. Harjot Singh Bains announced that this year’s Hola Mohalla will be celebrated as Green Hola Mohalla. He informed that a comprehensive ban has been enforced on single-use plastics, with the Punjab Pollution Control Board bearing the entire cost of providing biodegradable alternatives at all langar establishments.