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Punjab Govt
April 22, 2008

 

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.


 

 

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