Chandigarh, Sep 17 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday thanked Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for accepting state's proposal to approve substitution of 72-km road stretch under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I as part of year-long commemoration of 400th Parkash Purb of ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Sukhbir Sandhu for clearing this prestigious road project, linking Beas town with the historic town of Dera Baba Nanak, connected with the life and times of founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev.

The Chief Minister said the upgradation of this road project as four-lane would go a long way to give further impetus to the overall development of the region, besides harnessing its religious tourism potential and giving infrastructural boost to the industrial town of Batala.

He said with the approval of the project, the long-pending demand of the residents of the border area, especially the Sikh Sangat, has been fulfilled, which will enable them to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in a hassle-free manner.