Cabinet nod for war memorial near India Gate

The government set the ball rolling for a Rs 500-crore national war memorial and war museum near India Gate to be built in memory of over

22,500 soldiers, who laid down their lives post-Independence with the cabinet approving the long-pending proposal.

Described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "perfect tribute" to the country's brave soldiers, the memorial and the museum in Princess Park in New Delhi are estimated to be completed in five years.

Post-Independence, more than 22,500 soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice in national interest and in defence of the sovereignty and integrity of the country. However, even after 69 years of Independence, no memorial to commemorate the martyrs has been constructed till date.

"The national war memorial will be a perfect tribute to our brave soldiers who have given their lives for the nation," Modi tweeted.

With this decision, a long-pending demand of the armed forces has been redressed, an official statement released after the cabinet meeting said.

It has been decided that the project will be monitored by an empowered steering committee chaired by the defence secretary and assisted by a dedicated project management team, to ensure that the project is completed within the scheduled time-frame.

Post commissioning, a management body will be formed for maintenance of the national war memorial and the museum. The steering committee will now work on issuing an international request for information  for both domestic and foreign firms to come forward with their ideas and designs.

Government sources said Prime Minister Modi has given clear directions that the memorial should be world class and one of the best globally.

The memorial will not only take into account the martyrs of the various wars that India fought, but also the soldiers who were killed in counter-insurgency and anti-terror operations in the North East, Jammu and Kashmir, besides other places and battles fought in Siachen and Indian Peacekeeping Force operations in Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet also cleared three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. They will be established at Nagpur in Maharashtra, Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and Kalyani in West Bengal under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. The cost for this will be nearly Rs. 5,000 crore.

The other important decision taken by the Cabinet include amendment to India-Vietnam and India-Israel for double taxation avoidance agreements for prevention of tax evasion.

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal said that the amended agreements are part of the government's efforts to curb black money.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs also approved national watershed management project-Neeranchal with an outlay of Rs 2,142 crore. It will ensure access to irrigation to every farmland and help achieve the objectives of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana for efficient use of water.