PRIs Oath Taking Ceremony
BADAL BLOWS PARLIAMENTARY POLL BUGLE
TALKS OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF PRIs
LUDHIANA JUNE 5, 2008
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal said today blew
poll bugle for parliamentary elections in the country, saying
"the winds of political change were sweeping in the country
and the present Central regime was tottering on the brink of collapse.
A complete panic and uncertainty has gripped the United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) partners and anything can happen at any moment".
Mr. Badal was addressing a mammoth gathering at
the state level oath taking ceremony of the members of Zila Parishads
and Panchayat Samitis here today.
The Chief Minister declared that his government
considered the political and economic empowerment of the Panchayati
Raj System (PRIs) and civic bodies as the first pre-requisite
for all round and inclusive development in the state. Mr. Badal
said that the government would be guided by a grass root approach
to the solution of people's problems without compromising the
thrust towards the modernization of infrastructure, health and
education.
"The top-down approach as a development model is not suited
to a pre-dominantly rural economy like India. It is all the more
irrelevant to a state like Punjab where agriculture is the major
economic driver and over 70% population still lives in villages",
said the Chief Minister.
He said that he was proud of the democratic heritage
of the country.
"Dictatorship or princely regime (rajwarashahi) had no place
in India and these systems were anti-people and unsuited to the
requirements of development in a country of such vast heterogeneity
as India", said the Chief Minister.
Extending felicitations to the newly elected representatives
of Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, Mr. Badal said that people
of the state had reposed full faith in the progress, policies
and programmes of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab. He said that
it was now the onerous duty of the newly elected representatives
to deliver with a responsive, transparent and development oriented
approach to their tasks. He assured the members of the PRIs of
immense power and all the requisite funds for development projects
in their respective areas. He impressed upon them to oversee the
various on going constructions works within their jurisdiction
to ensure its quality and completion within a specific time frame.
He said that they should not adopt a casual attitude towards the
government works but should rather involve themselves to an extent
of personal commitment.
Mr. Badal directed the Rural Development &
Panchayat department to fully empower the panchayati raj system
economically, socially and administratively as an inherent component
of the cohesive democratic set up.
Showing deep concern over the plight of the farming and labour
class, Mr. Badal held Centre solely responsible for its apathetic
attitude towards the beleaguered peasantry. He said; "Punjab
has surpassed the previous all time high records of procurement
during this year by contributing 105 lac MT of wheat in the Central
pool at a critical juncture when the GoI was apprehensive of food
crisis in the country".
He said that the Centre had failed to fulfill its part of the
job.
It should had compensated our farmers in return
atleast by giving much higher MSP equalent to Rs.1600 per quintal
the price on which it imported wheat from Australia last year.
He said that our farmers had achieved this target of production
by depleting their sources of ground water and soil texture.
Holding congress government squarely responsible for ignoring
the development works in the state during its last regime, Mr.
Badal said that the SAD-BJP government had embarked upon an ambitious
programme to remodel the entire canal system at a cost of Rs.3500
crore to enhance the intake capacity of water by atleast 25% besides
repairing the water channels, courses and distributaries. Likewise,
he said that the state government had already made elaborate arrangements
to make Punjab self reliant in power by doubling its power generations
capacity from the present 6000 MW to nearly 12000 MW before 2012.
Later, Mr. Badal administered the oath of office
and secrecy to as many as 2500 newly elected members of the Zila
Parishads and Panchayat Samitis on the occasion.
In his address the Local Government & Industries
Minister Manoranjan Kalia said that India was one of the largest
and the strongest democracy in the world with a chequered history
of over 60 years. He urged the newly elected members of PRIs to
work with firm commitment and missionary zeal to fulfill the aspirations
of the people with in the ambit of SAD-BJP's development agenda.
In his welcome addressing Rural Development &
Panchayat Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura asked the newly elected
members of Zila Parshads and Panchayat Samitis to work whole-heartedly
for the welfare of the people living in rural areas. He assured
that there would be no paucity of funds for development and they
would be fully equipped with the funds, functions and functionaries.
Prominent amongst others who spoke on the occasion
included Forest Minister Tikshan Sood, Tourism Minster Hira Singh
Gabria and Member Parliament Sharanjit Singh Dhillon. Other who
were present on the occasion Revenue Minister Ajit Singh Kohra,
Media Advisor to Chief Minister Harcharan Bains, Chief Parliamentary
Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda, Mr.Darshan Singh Shivalik, Mr.Harish
Bedi and Mr.Jagjivan Singh Khirania (all MLAs), Vice Chairman
Punjab Traders Board Madan Lal Bagga, Senior Vice President of
SAD Gurdev Singh Badal, General Secretary of SAD Maheshinder Singh
Grewal, Ex-Minister Jagdish Singh Garcha, Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura,
District President SAD Santa Singh Umaidpuri and senior leaders
and party workers of SAD, BJP and members of SGPC.
DISBAND MATA VAISHNO DEVI SHRINE BOARD
– HAVE ELECTED BODY ON SGPC PATTERN – TIKSHAN SUD
Chandigarh June 5, 2008
Senior BJP Leader & Medical Education Minister Mr. Tikshan
Sud today demanded that President of India should immediately
disband Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for hurting the feelings
of crores of Hindus, by introducing class system to visit the
holiest shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. He said that Priority Darshan
Fee introduced by the Board to provide priority Darshan of Mata
Vaishno Devi to rich and elite was a cruel reminder of Zazia imposed
by oppressive Aurangzeb on Hindus.
In a statement issued here today Mr. Sud said that J & K
Governor General S.K. Sinha heading the Board was implementing
the Vatican agenda to secure third extension as Governor by pleasing
Italy born catholic UPA Chairperson and was making all efforts
to reduce the ever increasing flow of pilgrims to Mata Vaishno
Devi. He said that it was being done with complicity of Congress
Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad.
Demanding the amendment in the Constitution of the Board to
have elected body instead of present nominated Board, Mr. Sud
said that Hindus all over the country should elect the Board on
the pattern of SGPC. He said that since the Congress government
has taken control of this Board, corruption, maladministration
and nepotism was ruling the roost. He said that donation from
pilgrims running into hundreds of crores was being siphoned out
by handful persons controlling the Board and hardly any money
was being spent on providing facilities to the pilgrims. He said
that since last five years private shops have mushroomed on path
way leading from Katra to Bhawan, fleecing the innocent pilgrims
visiting Mata Vaishno Devi from all over India. He said that these
illegal shopkeepers were paying "under the table" weekly
money to the Board officials and J&K Government was mute spectator
to this whole sordid affair.
Demanding the immediate intervention of President of India,
Mr. Sood said that this Board should be made to rescind the controversial
order with immediate effect and President should disband the Board
immediately. He said that the President should also sack J&K
Governor with immediate effect for hurting the feelings of crores
of Hindus.
