RS. 1.76 CRORE RELEASED FOR FLOOD PROTECTION
MEASURES---CHAWLA
Chandigarh August 19, 2008
Shikha Nehra
The Health Minister Punjab Prof. Lakshmi Kanta Chawla today
directed all the civil surgeons to take immediate steps to control
the outbreak of water borne diseases especially in the flood affected
areas of the state. Funds amounting to Rupees One Crore, Seven
lakh and Sixty Thousand have been allocated to all the Civil Surgeons
in the State for Medicines, Insecticidal Spray and POL (Petrol
Oil Lubricants, said the minister.
In a statement issued here today, the minister said that the
medicines required for water borne diseases, skin diseases, respiratory
infections, malaria and insect bites have been made available
in abundance in all the hospitals of Punjab . She further asked
the officers at the districts headquarters to remain ready and
vigilant for any emergent situation. The emergency drugs should
be procured and kept ready all the time, said the minister. Control
Rooms have also been established at District H..Qs and at Sub-divisional
levels. Static and Mobile medical teams fully equipped ambulances,
Medicines and life saving drugs and equipments have been constituted
and stationed at vulnerable points.
To ensure safe drinking water to the people in the affected
areas, the minister said that adequate number of samples of drinking
water have been taken for analysis in the identified flood affected
areas. Chlorination of drinking water would be ensured. Large
number of chlorine tablets have been made available in the stocks
of civil surgeons for distribution in flood affected areas as
well as rural areas during the rainy season to check water borne
diseases, said Prof. Chawla. Although the flood situation was
well under control but still as a precautionary measure casual
leaves of all Medical and Para-medical staff have been cancelled
in the flood prone areas till further orders and all the staff
has been put on Red Alert and have been ordered not to leave headquarter,
She said.
GREEN SCHOOL DRIVE BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Chandigarh August 19, 2008
The Punjab Education Department has launched a massive "Green
School" drive in all the state schools where students of
more than 17000 schools would plant approximately three lac saplings
during this drive.
Disclosing this here today, Dr. Upinderjit Kaur, Education Minister
Punjab said that this drive had already been launched in the State
schools, in order to imbibe the spirit of conservation of plants
into the students so that they could be awaked about the depletion
of forests cover, to safeguard our environment and to maintain
ecological balance. Besides, this drive would also make them responsible
to their collective duties and contribution to the society to
preserve the nature's balance.
The Minister said that the state forest department had conceded
to that the District Forest Officers (DFOs) would provide the
saplings of available 45 verities free of cost to the state schools
and the Forest Rangers as well as Forest Guards would guide and
render help to the school heads for tree plantation. Besides they
would also visit the schools for disease free growth of plants.
The Education Minister further added that the school heads have
also been instructed to plant atleast ten saplings in their school
premises and to honour those students who keep the plantations
in healthy state.
Punjab Government issues
Punjab State Development Loan
CHANDIGARH, August 19, 2008
Parvinder
The outstanding balance of 11.50 percent Punjab State Development
Loan 2008 issued in terms of the State government vide notification
no.7/2/88 2FB11 dated August 16,1988 would be repaid on August
29,2008 with interest due upto including August 28, 2008.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesman of the Punjab Government
said that in the event of a holiday being declared on the aforesaid
date by State Government under the Negotiable Instruments Act,
1881, the loan would be repaid by the paying offices on the previous
working day. No interest would accrue on the loan from and after
August 29, 2008, he added.
He also said that to facilitate repayment on the due date, holders
of 11.50 percent Punjab State Development Loan, 2008 should tender
their securities at the Public Debt Office, Treasury and Sub-Treasury
or branch of State Bank of India, or its subsidiary banks where
they are enfaced/registered for payment of interest 20 days in
advance.
It should be particularly noted, said the spokesman, that at
places where the treasury work was done by a branch of the State
Bank of India or any of its associate banks, the securities, if
they were in the form of Stock Certificates, should be tendered
at the branch of the bank concerned and not at the Treasury or
Sub-Treasury.
RUPEES 2 CRORE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS CM'S
RELIEF FUND
CHANDIGARH AUGUST 19, 2008
In response to an appeal of the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash
Singh Badal to make liberal contributions towards the Chief Minister's
Relief Fund to effectively combat the flood situation and to extend
all out help to the flood victims in the state, Cooperation Minister
Capt. Kanwaljit Singh today presented Cheques worth Rs.2 crore
to Mr. Badal towards the relief fund on behalf of Markfed (Rs.1
crore), Punjab State Cooperative Bank (Rs.50 Lac) and Punjab State
Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank (Rs.50 lac).
According to Chief Minister's Media Advisor Harcharan Bains,
the fund would be utilized to bail out the affected persons for
giving them adequate compensation for the loss suffered in terms
of crops, property and human life.
Financial Commissioner Cooperation Ms.Kusumjit Sidhu, MD Markfed
GS Grewal, MD Punjab State Cooperative Bank Parmeshwar Singh Sidhu,
MD Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank Gurbir
Singh Mangat, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister
Gagandeep Singh Brar and Chief Manager Markfed Balmukand Sharma
were also present on the occasion.
PUNJAB ALL SET TO PRODUCE POWER FROM FLOW
OF RIVER WATER
Chandigarh August 19, 2008
Punjab Government today sought two pilot projects from Union
Renewable Energy Ministry to produce power from flow of rivers
in the State. The State also sought two demonstration projects
funded by Union Ministry to harness power from waterfalls with
a head of 1-1.5mt.
Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, Science Technology and Non Renewable
Energy Minister Punjab in a high level meeting with Union Minister
for New and Renewable Energy Mr. Vilas Baburao Muttemwar today
demanded assistance from Union Ministry for ushering in an era
of non-renewable energy in Punjab.
The Minister informed the Union Minister that Punjab was committed
to generate 10% of total generation capacity of the State from
non-renewable resources and Union Government should provide assistance
to make Punjab a model of Non-Renewable Energy generation in the
Country so that others states could emulate. The Union Minister
offered total support of his Ministry to translate this dream
into reality.
Mr. Majithia sought 50% subsidy on two additional projects to
generate 2 MW power from cow dung. He said that Punjab was planning
to expand existing 1 MW project at Haebowal into 2 MW and would
set up another project at another location at Ludhiana. The Union
Minister agreed to consider this proposal keeping in view the
vast potential of this project.
Giving a novel suggestion to harness abundant solar energy in
the country, Mr. Majithia suggested that subsidy of 1.25 lac per
MW presently available for government institutions, be extended
to domestic as well as individual housing buildings for setting
up Photovoltaic Power Plant and these plants be connected to the
State grid. He also suggested that Ministry should seek income
tax benefits for individuals and institutions setting up these
plants. Mr. Vilas Baburao Muttemwar appreciating the suggestion
asked his Secretary to involve Punjab in making day conceptual
paper of this proposal.
Putting up the case of farmers of Punjab strongly Mr. Majithia
demanded that subsidy of Rs. 1.80 lac on Solar Photovoltaic water
pumps for irrigation purposes be restored immediately as Punjab
farmers are lining up to install such pumps and state had 300
applications pending for such pumps. The Minister informed that
the 1800 pumps already installed have proved quite successful
and Ministry should immediately restore the subsidy. The Union
Minister promised to reconsider this proposal keeping in view
the fact that Punjab was the 'food basket' of India.
It was also agreed in the meeting to operationalize Sardar Swaran
Singh National institute for Renewable Energy at Kapurthala within
one year. It was informed in the meeting that 70% civil work of
the building was already complete.
The Union Minister asked Punjab Government to setup solar power
plants on BOT basis as Union Government was giving a grant of
Rs. 12.50 per unit for such plants. He informed that against the
propsed plants of 50 MW, the Union Government has already received
proposals from private players for 2000 MW plants.
Mr. A.S. Chattwal Secretary Science & Technology and a team
of officers from Union Ministry headed by Union
BRITSIH COLUMBIAN MP ED FAST TO HELP PUNJAB
ON HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT
CHANDIGARH AUGUST 19, 2008
Member of Parliament from British Columbia (Canada) Mr. Ed Fast
today offered services to work together with the Punjab government
in upgrading technical skills and knowledge through Experts' and
Teachers' exchange programmes in the sphere of primary & secondary
education, technical education, skill development, tele-medicine,
bio-technology, nano-technology and information technology.
Mr. Fast made this offer here today during a call on meeting
with the Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal at latter
residence.
Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister informed
Mr. Ed Fast that Punjabis shared a special bonding with British
Columbia-one of the most prosperous and advanced provinces in
Canada. Punjabis had a strong presence there and it was a matter
of great satisfaction to observe that Punjabis had always contributed
immensely towards the economic prosperity of the land of their
adoption.
Mr. Badal apprised the visiting Member Parliament that the Punjab
government had already inked a memorandum of understanding with
British Columbia for bilateral cooperation in the field of education
leading further to employment. The Chief Minister sought Mr. Fast's
cooperation for the skill development programme in the state besides
the absorption of quality manpower from the state in the industry
of British Columbia. He also requested Mr. Fast to consider Punjab
as their number one choice for importing manpower and also ease
out the procedure for migration of skilled youth from Punjab to
province of British Columbia.
Mr. Fast assured the Chief Minister that British Columbia was
looking forward for collaboration with the Punjabi University
Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, Technical University
Jalandhar, Panjab University Chandigarh and Punjab Agricultural
University Ludhiana to upgrade the standard of education and improve
the chances of employability of students from Punjab to Canada.
Mr. Fast and her Executive Assistant Ms. Anju Gill were accompanied
by Member Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Cooperation Minister
Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Harcharan
Bains and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru were also
present on the occasion.
BADAL RELEASES BOOK 'GURMAT SABHYACHAR'
PENNED BY PROF. BADUNGAR
CHANDIGARH AUGUST 19, 2008
The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today released
a book "Gurmat Sabhyachar" by the eminent Sikh scholar
and former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee President Prof.
Kirpal Singh Badungar. The book contains essays on Sikh philosophy
and ethos and is the second book on Sikh philosophy by the author
as he had also authored an other book "Gurmat Vichar te Sikhi
Jeewan" in 2006.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Badal appreciated the efforts
of Prof. Badungar the noted writer and thinker on Sikhism who
had played a pro-active role in propagating the value based teachings
of Sikh philosophy in the right perspective. Mr. Badal hoped that
such thought provoking books could redeem the ailing humanity
to attain the level of divinity in the present scenario.
Prof. Badungar has explicitly highlighted the relevance and significance
of spiritualism in the present materialistic society through his
writings in the book.
Prominent amongst the others who were present on the occasion
included Member Parliament and SAD Chief Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal,
Member Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Rural Development &
Panchayats Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Cooperation Minister
Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Education Minister Bibi Upinderjit Kaur,
Advisor to Chief Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema and Media Advisor
Harcharan Bains besides the senior leadership of SAD including
former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur, Balwinder Singh Bhundar,
Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Jathedar Tota Singh and Mr. Sewa
Singh Sekhwan.
SIKHS WARN SONIA AGAINST INTEREFERENCE
IN RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS:
SAD,HARYANA SIKHS TO STAGE MASSIVE RALLY IN KARNAL AGAINST SEPARATE
COMMITTEE
Chandigarh August 19, 2008
The Shiromani Akali Dal today took its battle on the Sikh religious
affairs to the national stage, directly implicating the UPA chief
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Union Government for what it called
"direct, dangerous and provocative interference in the internal
affairs of the Khalsa Panth and attempts to destroy the Mini Parliament
of the Sikhs, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee through
the setting up of parallel body in Haryana.'
A resolution passed at an emergency meeting of the Core Committee
of the SAD held Mrs. Sonia Gandhi directly responsible for using
the Haryana government for denigrating the supreme Sikh institution,
and "endangering peace and communal harmony in the region
and the country by hatching a conspiracy to undo countless sacrifices
made by the Sikhs for the right to manage their own holy shrines."
Describing the SGPC as "the ultimate democratic symbol of
glory of the Panth and of its right to manage its own religious
shrines," the resolution described the move to set up a separate
body, against the wishes of the Sikhs including those of Haryana,
as 'fraught with dangers."
The Core Committee declared that the Haryana Sikhs would hold
a massive rally at Karnal on August 30 to protest against the
acts of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her party's government in Haryana.
Representatives of the Haryana unit of the SAD and religious
figures from the state met the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash
Singh Badal and SAD supremo Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked
them to take up their case with the Union Government.
The Core Committee Resolution regretted the 'utterly insensitive
attitude of the Centre towards repeated pleas made through the
SGPC, the SAD and the Punjab government' to dissuade the Haryana
government from its "obstinate attitude'. "The Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh even chose not to acknowledge the
two letters written to him by the Punjab CM on the issue. It is
hard to see the motives of the Sonia led Congress High Command
behind these moves even as peace and communal harmony in Punjab
had been restored only after thousands of innocents fell a prey
to violence. "That spate of violence itself was the result
of the dangerous political conspiracies of the then Congress leaders
at the centre and in the state. It seems they are hell bent on
reactivating those conspiracies," said the resolution.
The Core Committee traced the history of "the long and
glorious struggle that led to the formation of the SGPC in 1925.
"The saga was described by no less a leader than Mahatma
Gandhi as the first victory in the movement for independence.
Later, the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru reached
a pact with the Panth Ratan, Master Tara Singh ji on non-interference
in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. The Pact, known as Nehru-Master
Tara Singh Pact, specifically and categorically said that no decision
affecting the religious affairs of the Sikh Community would be
taken except through the prior consent of the overwhelming majority
of the members of the SGPC."
"Sonia Gandhi, for some intriguing reason, is bent upon
making a mockery even of that sacred pledge made by her grand
father in law to the Sikh community, "said the resolution.
The SAD warned Mrs. Sonia Gandhi against hurting the religious
sentiments of the Sikhs. "Or else, she would be directly
responsible for any unpleasant consequences that flow from her
pursuing this disastrous course," said the Core Committee
Resolution.
The meeting was presided over by SAD Chief Mr. Sukhbir Singh
Badal and attended by the Punjab Chief Minister and Patron SAD
Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Secretary General Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa,
Senior Vice President & Rural Development & Panchayats
Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, General Secretary SAD Balwinder
Singh Bhundar, General Secretary & Cooperation Minister Capt.
Kanwaljit Singh, General Secretary Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra,
Jathedar Tota Singh, Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Education Minister
Bibi Upinderjit Kaur, former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur, besides
Secretary & & Advisor to Chief Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh
Cheema and Media Advisor Harcharan Bains.
God bless you Mr Chandumajra; only if
they valued your loyalty
"More loyal than the king", remarked the nine Congress
MLAs about the Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary, Prem Singh
Chandumajra, who had come to the rescue of his leader, apparently
quite reluctantly, Sukhbir Badal. They wished him goodluck hoping
this reluctant, but seemingly unfailing loyalty to the first family
in SAD would fetch him the party nomination from the Patiala parliamentary
constituency which he was so scornfully refused last time in 2004
which had led to his exit.
In a joint statement issued today, the MLAs remarked, Chandumajra
seems to speak from his personal experience in the SAD where the
leaders are not treated uniformly but categorised according to
the level and ranking accorded to them on the basis of their loyalty,
rather sycophancy, towards the "first family" in the
party, as "first rung", "second rung", "third
rung" and so on. While it is already a public knowledge as
how the leaders are scornfully treated in the SAD, be they "general
secretaries or the secretaries general", but now it has been
confirmed, rather confessed, by no less a person than the party
general secretary himself. There power and authority is restricted
to merely issuing the statements in defence of their leaders.
The MLAs asserted, leaders are not categorized in the Congress
as "family loyalists and sycophants" and possible rebels,
but are treated as public representatives who come from grass
roots. And the leadership in Congress, unlike the SAD, is not
thrust from the top nor inherited by virtue of birth, it is earned
by hardwork, experience and service to the people. The MLAs remarked,
"we wish Chandumajra could introspect and categorize himself,
if at all he was in any category, in the SAD the same way he has
tried to categorize us". They expressed their gratitude to
him for describing them as the "navrattans".
As for as describing them as the "psycho-analysts",
the MLAs remarked, he should better have questioned the "psycho-analytical
skills" of his own leader, Sukhbir Badal who has taken upon
himself so many roles, but that of a mature and responsible leader
leading a responsible party. They reiterated that Sukhbir Badal
is too obsessed, haunted and hallucinated by the fear of Capt
Amarinder Singh that he is finding ground slipping beneath his
feet.
The MLAs also had a dig at Chandumajra for praising the "leadership
and sagacity" of his leader, "by ensuring a thumping
win for the Akali Dal in the recently held local government elections".
They told Chandumajra, "you better ask your alliance partner
the BJP how thumping the victory has been and if you would not
be satisfied ask thousands of Akali workers in the villages who
were victimized in the factional fights".
The MLAs lauded the ability and agility of Chandumajra to cultivate
the loyalty skills so fast and wished that these utlived the 2009
parliamentary elections. Reminding him of the indignity he suffered
during the last parliamentary elections when he was denied the
party ticket from Patiala which led to his resigning from the
party, they wished him good luck this time. "Such unfailing
loyalty must fetch you the parliamentary nomination this time",
they reassured Chandumajra, while adding, "even though we
know you hardly stand any chance, but that would salvage your
prestige which was hurt and bruised so badly in 2004 and you were
left with no option but to quit only to return again".
The MLAs who issued the joint statement included Ajaib Singh
Bhatti, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Joginder Singh Panjgrayan, Ajit
Inder Singh Mofar, Makhan Singh, Naresh Kataria, Sukh Sarkaria,
Mangat Rai Bansal, Sher Singh Gagoowal, Harmohinder Singh Pradhan,
Joginderpal Jain, Ajit Singh Shant and Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.
