PUNJAB RELEASES RS. 67 CRORE
FOR CONSTRUCTION OF GURU GOBIND SINGH MEDICAL COLLEGE FARIDKOT
BUILDING
Chandigarh, April 22, 2008
In one of the biggest investment in the history of Medical Education
Sector, the Punjab Government today sanctioned Rs. 67 crore for
construction of buildings of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College
Faridkot including Academic Campus and Senate Campus of Baba Farid
University of Health Sciences.
Disclosing this here today Mr. Tikshan Sud, Medical Education
& Research Minister said that the Chief Minister Mr. Parkash
Singh Badal took personal interest to get these project cleared
in a time bound manner. These projects were granted approval in
the 76th Executive Committee meeting of Punjab Infrastructure
Development Board and were scheduled to be completed within 12
months.
Mr Sud said that it was decided to hand over the construction
of these projects to the reputed national/multinational construction
companies with proper infrastructure and experience.
Medical Education Minister said that by releasing largest ever
investment in the Medical Education sector in a single day, SAD-BJP
government has fulfilled its promise to provide proper building
to Medical College and Baba Farid University. The Minister regretted
that Congress government did not pay any heed to Medical Education
Sector and only money for salary of employees was released. He
said that Rs. 36 crore provided in the Budget got lapsed during
Congress regime as Capt. Amarinder Singh did not wanted this University
as its foundation stone laid by S. Parkash Singh Badal in 1998.
Mr. Jagjit Puri, Secretary Medical Education giving the details
of the project said that Rs. 43.26 crores would be spent on construction
of 3 storied building of Guru Gobind Singh Medical Colleges with
ultra modern facilities including CCTV. The Academic campus building
of Baba Farid University would be constructed at the cost of Rs.
11.20 crores where as Senate Campus building of the University
would be built at the cost of Rs. 12.60 crores.
He said that three Nodal Committees have been constituted to
supervise the construction of these projects.
CM ASKS DCs FOR FAST TRACK
INQUIRIES IN WHEAT CROP BURNING CASES
CHANDIGARH, APRIL 22, 2008
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here today directed
all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to examine personally
the reasons in the cases of wheat crop burning any where in the
state and report immediately to the concerned sectors.
According to a spokesman of the Punjab Government, taking serious
concern over the occurrence of such incidences in these days,
Mr. Badal directed that in case of fire affecting standing crops
due to spark in the electric wires passing through the fields
or any other reason, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB)
and Revenue Department must be informed immediately for releasing
adequate compensation to the affected farmers.
PUNJAB INCREASES MINIMUM
WAGES DUE TO INCREASE IN PRICE INDEX
Chandigarh, April 22:
The Punjab Government today announced an increase in minimum
wages fixed by the State due to increase in Consumer Price Index
(CPI).
According to an official spokesman new wages have been increased
with effect from 1st March, 2008. Now the minimum wage for an
unskilled worker would be Rs. 100.51 for daily rated worker and
Rs. 2620 for monthly rated worker.
The spokesman said that per day rate of an agriculture worker
would be now Rs. 94.61 (with meal) and Rs. 104.31 (without meal).
The spokesman added that increase has been made on the basis
of change in CPI that has risen from 409 to 419. He said that
all industrial establishment and those in unorganised sectors
have been informed about the new rates of minimum wages effective
from 1st March, 2008. He said that labour department would take
action against erring units/individuals under minimum wages act
1948 in the case of any violation.
The spokesman clarified that the revision of minimum wages which
is done by Minimum Wages Board was also in process.
UPINDERJIT KAUR CONDOLES THE DEATHS OF
PROF. S. SOJ AND MR SANTOKH SINGH SAFRI
Chandigarh, April 22, 2008
The Punjab Education and Languages Minister Dr. Upinderjit Kaur
today expressed deep shock at the demise of famous Punjabi story
writers, poets and novelists Prof. S. Soj and Mr Santokh Singh
Safri who expired after brief illnesses.
In a condolence message Dr. Upinderjit Kaur said that in the
deaths of Prof. Soj and Mr Safri, Punjab as well as literature
world has lost writers whose writings gave it a new identity and
a social purpose.
The Education Minister expressed heartfelt sympathies with the
bereaved families and prayed to God to give peace to the departed
souls and strength to them to bear these irreparable losses.
Prof. Soj and Mr Safri known as pillars of Punjabi literature
had contributed a lot to the Punjabi literature with their novels,
story books.
CM call for war on global
warming and environmental pollution
New Delhi/Chandigarh April 22, 2008
The Punjab Chief Minister today called for a decisive war on
global warming and environmental pollution in order to s"save
this planet as a home for our future generations."
Addressing a galaxy of distinguished environmentalists, scholars
and media luminaries at the Ecology Awards Function organized
jointly by The Times of India Group and the JSW Foundation on
Environment on the 'World Earth Day' this evening at Hotel Taj,
Mr. Badal warned, "The earth faces the greatest threat to
its survival ever in the history of the planet, and, unless drastic
global steps were taken immediately to correct the situation,
the planet could plunge into a deadly darkness for ever. This
danger comes not from wild animals or any alien species from Mars
but from you and me only. Man has become the greatest threat to
life on this planet," he said.
The Chief Minister blamed thoughtless, indiscriminate and ill-planned
use of science for the looming disaster and said, "It has
taken billions of years for life to evolve on this planet but
the blind and unethical application of science for ill-planned
development today can wipe it off the face of this earth for ever
in just a few more years. Throughout the world, the national budgets
for acquiring deadly weapons, bombs and other war machinery is
many, many times higher than budgets for health, childcare, education
or for fighting poverty, crime etc."
The Chief Minister regretted that while our generation appeared
to have acquired immense knowledge, it sorely lacked wisdom necessary
for its own survival. He said that it was as if the human kind
were in the grip of a fatalistic death-wish, spending billions
and billions of dollars on producing instruments of murder and
mass destruction at a time when children cried for food and basic
amenities for life. "Throughout the world, the national budgets
for acquiring deadly weapons of mass destruction was many times
higher than the total budgets reserved for health, childcare,
education or for fighting poverty, crime etc., he said, adding,
" The money spent on acquiring a single hydrogen bomb would
be more than enough to meet the entire expenses on opening the
most sophisticated and well-equipped schools and hospitals in
most parts of the country."
The Chief Minister spoke about the 'proud ecological legacy
of India' and said that the wise men from this land had always
advocated the basic unity and inter-connectedness of all matter
in the universe. This unity and interdependence was the guiding
philosophy of all modern concepts of ecology. "Latest theories
in science have only confirmed the oldest beliefs of religion
that nothing exists in this world independently. The Vedas are
full of prayers for preserving the natural environment. Western
thinkers used to make fun of our religions for preaching worship
of various animals, plants, trees, sun, water, clouds and even
snakes. But now the scientists also tell us that each species,
ecosystem, gene and culture is important to the future of our
planet." The Sikh Gurus, he said, also spoke most forcefully
about this subject. In Japji Sahib, Guru Nanak Dev-ji described
air, water and earth as our spiritual guide, father and mother
respectively
Mr. Badal asked the media to set the political, social, economic,
educational, cultural and environmental agenda of the country
and said, " Media must move away from political sensationalism
which pollutes our moral and spiritual ecology. It was Media that
set the agenda for the Freedom of this country from its White
Yoke. It should now set the agenda for a Cleaner, Greener India
and lead the movement for saving our Green and Beautiful planet,"
concluded the Chief Minister.
