Cabinet approves construction of National War Memorial

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the construction of a National War Memorial and a National War Museum at Princess Park, near India Gate, New Delhi in memory of all Indian soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country post-independence.

The estimated cost of the project will be around Rs. 500 crore and the total time for completion of the entire project is estimated to be five years.

Post-Independence, more than 22,500 soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice in national interests 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. With the present decision of the Cabinet a long pending demand of the Armed Forces has been redressed.

It has been decided that the prestigious project will be monitored by an empowered Steering Committee chaired by Defence Secretary and assisted by a dedicated project management team, to ensure that the proposed project is completed within scheduled time frame, Post commissioning, a management body will be formed for maintenance of the National War Memorial and Museum.

This government will be establishing a War Memorial and a Museum with a deep sense of gratitude to honour those brave soldiers, who laid down their lives. The memorial will promote a sense of patriotism in the minds of visitors, and will award an opportunity to citizens of this vast nation, to express their token sense of gratitude to the brave soldiers, who laid down their lives for the mother land.

While their final movements, would have gone unnoticed and on occasions their final resting place unknown, this museum will capture those poignant moments in history and bring out the variegated nature of their commitments.

Their dedication, this government feels is a part of unfinished work in nation building. This Government resolves with all its humility at its command that they did not die in vain and that Bharat Mata is enriched by their contribution. A visit to the memorial shall inspire us to rededicate ourselves to this great nation with utmost devotion.