After years of indecision over making a dedicated National War Memorial and Museum here for soldiers who were martyred post independence, the work on the project finally seems to be moving towards reality.

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After the Union Cabinet last October approved the long standing demand of the armed forces veteran and serving community to make the memorial and museum at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore near India gate here, the government will now invite global tenders for the design of the structure.

Defence sources told dna that a global Request for Information (RFI) from vendors for design of the twin structure (memorial and museum) will be issued in August first week and the best designs will be picked up from submissions received online.

The design finalization has to happen by the end of this year so that subsequent work can move ahead.

An empowered steering committee under the defence secretary is monitoring the entire project that has a construction deadline of being completed by 2020.

According to the plan, of the Rs 500, Rs 350 crore has been earmarked for the museum, Rs 50 crore for the memorial and Rs 100 crore for an underground tunnel connecting the twin structures.

To come up at the Princess Park near India Gate, the memorial and museum was a long pending idea for having a place to commemorate the sacrifices of more than 22500 soldiers who were martyred in wars and insurgency operations post India's independence. Hitherto, it is the India Gate, built before independence by the British, where martyrs are commemorated.