To mark the contribution of eminent personalities from the field of art and culture and noted historians, the Public Works Department (PWD) has amended its policy of naming roads and buildings.

PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla said prior to this amendment, roads or buildings were named only after religious personalities, gallantry awardees, war martyrs, freedom fighters or Olympics or world-level championship winners.

• Now the Punjab government has decided to include noted historians and renowned personalities of Punjab.
• The first road as per this amendment has been named after renowned Punjabi historian Giani Ditt Singh.
• After the approval of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the Kharar-Bassi Pathana road had been named after Giani Ditt Singh in honour of his contribution towards society.

About Giani Ditt Singh

• Giani Ditt Singh was known as scholar, poet, editor, besides a distinguished historian.
• He was an eminent Singh Sabha reformer, who wrote over 70 books, including famous “Khalsa Akhbar”.
• In 1886, he became a principal contributor to and subsequently the second editor of the weekly Khalsa Akhbar, Lahore, a newspaper founded by Bhai Gurmukh Singh following the establishment of the Lahore Khalsa Diwan.
• His ‘Dayanand naal mera Samvaad’ and ‘Durga Parbodh’ are considered major texts of Sikh philosophy.