Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Friday virtually laid the foundation stone of 13 rural sports parks set to come up in the district on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

The state government is developing these sports complexes to facilitate the rural youth of the state, said the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister, who, among others, also attended the online ceremony wherein chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone of 150 rural sports parks sanctioned under Punjab’s Mission Tandrust.

Regarding the district-based project, Ashu said these sports parks would be of different designs and would come up on 1 to 4 acres of land, with each block having five such complexes. In total, Ludhiana would have 65 parks. He said the parks, whose foundation stone was laid today, would be opened to the public in the next six months.

Ashu also flagged off seven ambulances, which were donated to the state government by Zee Entertainment. He informed that four of these ambulances had already reached the city while the remaining would arrive soon.

In his address, the minister said there is a need to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence, truth and peace among the masses, especially the youth. He also congratulated Ludhiana residents on the occasion and urged them to contribute in nation building.

Ashu revealed that the state government has launched several welfare schemes on great leader’s birth anniversary, adding that the health department was in the process of purchasing around 100 ambulances.

Prominent members, including MLAs Surinder Dawar and Sanjay Talwar, PSIDC chairman KK Bawa, mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, LIT chairman Raman Balasubramaniam, deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma, municipal commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, ADC (D) Sandeep Kumar, civil surgeon Dr Rajesh Kumar Bagga, were in attendance besides others.