Centre earmarks Rs 150 crore for year-long commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

The government has earmarked a total of Rs 150 crore for organising various events in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from October 2, 2019, to October 2, 2020.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while presenting General Budget in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, announced the earmarking of funds for year-long commemoration of the birth anniversary of the father of the nation.

"Our country will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, from October 2, 2019, to October 2, 2020. The government and the people of India will rededicate them, through their actions, to the ideals that the Mahatma taught and lived by. My government has earmarked Rs 150 crore for the year 2018-19 for activities leading to the commemoration," he said.

A 116-member national committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been constituted to formulate the commemoration programmes.

The committee includes chief ministers of all the states, representatives "from across the political spectrum", Gandhians, thinkers and eminent persons from all walks of life, Jaitley said.

A total of nine foreign dignitaries, including former UN secretary generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa, are the members of the committee.

The government notified induction of these foreign dignitaries into the committee recently.