Rajnath to inaugurate upgraded spectator gallery at Attari on Tuesday

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh will inaugurate the upgraded spectator gallery at the Attari border on Tuesday, a Home Ministry official said on Monday.

The Minister is also expected to address a gathering at the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari before inaugurating the gallery that has been upgraded at a cost of Rs 32 crore for providing a better view of flag-lowering ceremony to the visitors. Attari is the the gateway to India's bilateral trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Singh will reportedly reach the border around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The inauguration of the gallery, which is U-shaped, was opened for viewers five months ago but its formal inauguration was pending. 

Earlier, the gallery was to be inaugurated by Border Security Force Director General K.K. Sharma on September 26, 2018, but the inauguration was postponed at the eleventh hour.

The visitors gallery can accommodate 25,000 people against capacity for 5,000 viewers earlier. The new gallery matches the one on the Pakistan side and it is 32-metre high. The 22 domes constructed atop the gallery give it a heritage look.

As per the BSF officials, the gallery has a conference hall, 140 public toilets, nine barracks for troops, a medical-aid room, a meeting hall, a dining hall, a kitchen, an army weapon exhibition room and a souvenir shop.

The new gallery also comprises 60 high-definition imported cameras, along with a high-quality fire-fighting system.