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US house panel votes for Gandhi memorial in Washington

A committee of the US House of Representatives has approved a legislation, originally introduced by Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone, authorising the Government of India to establish a memorial to honour Mahatma Gandhi in the United States capital.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Congressman Bill McCullum, co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, and 17 other members of the caucus, now goes before the full House of Representatives.

A similar legislation has been introduced in the US Senate and is expected to be put on vote shortly.

Pallone, a founder and co-chairman of the Caucus, in a statement last night hoped the legislation would be voted by the full house prior to Congress's August recess to ensure its passage during this year of celebrations of India's 50th anniversary of Independence.

The bill envisages that the US government will provide the land in Washington to the Government of India to raise the memorial. The location of the memorial would be adjacent to the Indian embassy site on Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue.

UNI

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