Ekta Sthal or Vijay Ghat? Govt shortlists two spots for ex-PM Manmohan Singh’s memorial

A team of top officials of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on Thursday visited some sites on the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal campus for the proposed memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

However, no final decision has been taken yet as to the site where the memorial would come up. 

The Rashtriya Smriti Sthal is an area along Yamuna river designated memorial complex for departed leaders. 

The government has shortlisted two locations – Ekta Sthal or Vijay Ghat around the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for the memorial of the ex-prime minister, according to reports. The ministry has reportedly presented the suggestions to the former prime minister’s family. 

There have been meetings between officials of the home ministry and the urban affairs ministry to finalise the site for Singh’s memorial.

Ekta Sthal is home to former President Giani Zail Singh’s samadhi. Vijay Ghat houses the memorial of India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. 

Vijay Ghat is located on the main Ring Road near Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial). Ekta Sthal is between Shanti Van (Jawaharlal Nehru’s samadhi) and Vijay Ghat, along Rajghat. The Rashtriya Smriti Sthal lies near Ekta Sthal.

CPWD officials visit Rashtriya Smriti Sthal

Earlier, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) officials also visited sites around the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial, the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal and identified some spots for the memorial.

The government is in touch with the former prime minister’s family and has discussed three or four options for the memorial’s location, they said. The sources said everything would be done in consultation with Singh’s family.

The Centre will set up a trust before allotting the selected land to it for the memorial. The government has already conveyed its willingness to set up a memorial to the former prime minister’s family.

The Centre will set up a trust before allotting the selected land to it for the memorial.

Singh – the architect of India’s economic reforms – died on December 26 at the age of 92 following age-related complications.

The Centre agreed to the Congress’s request for a memorial for Singh. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had criticised the government for conducting Singh’s last rites at Nigambodh Ghat, calling it disrespectful to the former Prime Minister.