KHATKAR KALAN TO BE DEVELOPED AS MECCA
OF MARTYRS
(NAWANSHAHAR) MARCH 23:
While paying glowing tributes to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh here
at his native village, Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh
Badal today declared that Khatkar Kalan would be soon developed
as the 'Mecca of the Martyrs'.
He was addressing a gathering at a state level function organized
by the Punjab Government on the 77th martyrdom day of Shaheed-e-Azam
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Mr.Badal unfolded a plan to
develop this historic monument by giving a facelift to the museum
where the portraits of all the freedom fighters and the artifacts
belonging to them would be displayed to apprise the younger generation
with our supreme legacy of nationalism and patriotism.
The Chief Minister bemoaned that even after 60 years of freedom,
our governments had not been able to provide the basic civic amenities
to a common man what to talk of tall claims like high growth rate
in terms of infrastructure, power, telecommunications and civil
aviation. He said that our freedom fighters and patriots laid
down their lives for the betterment of our countrymen. "It
is a sad plight that the aspirations of our freedom fighters had
not yet been cherished because they dreamt of an Independent India
free from the maladies of illiteracy, unemployment and starvation",
said Mr.Badal. He asked the Centre and State governments to take
pledge on this auspicious day to undertake programmes and schemes
exclusively for the development and welfare of a common man at
the grass root levels. "It will be a real tribute to our
national heroes and great martyrs who made supreme sacrifices
for the independence of our country", said Mr.Badal. He however,
said that martyrs were not merely restricted to any region, religion
and faith rather they belonged to one and all irrespective of
caste, colour and creed. "Our government is committed to
perpetuate the legacy of freedom fighters and national heroes
through organizing state level functions to inculcate the spirit
of patriotism and nationalism amongst our younger generation",
said Mr.Badal.
Blaming the Central Government for meting out a step motherly
treatment to the state governments, Mr.Badal said that the remote
control was with Delhi and states had always to look upon them
for justified demands and grants. He said that states had virtually
no powers with them and were dependent on the Center even for
petty matters. He underscored the need to conceptualize a Central
plan exclusively for the welfare of the un-privileged sections
of the society besides redefining the central state relations
in the changed scenario and casting a true federal structure to
secure state's participation in the national development process.
The Chief Minister said that the people of Punjab had already
paid a heavy price for bringing peace in the state after a long
era of militancy in Punjab. He categorically said that nobody
would be allowed to vitiate the congenial atmosphere of peace
and communal harmony at the behest of any political party or organization.
Underlining the need to implementation of all welfare schemes
of SAD-BJP Government in true spirit, Mr.Badal said that it could
only be possible if all the three organs of democratic set up
viz. public, bureaucracy and government work harmoniously for
the welfare of a common man. He directed the bureaucracy to serve
the public with a humane approach. He however mentioned that in
future a column in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of the
officers would be inserted rating their performance relating to
public dealing with an objective to bring far more efficiency,
accountability and public interface in the administration.
Mr.Badal said that our government since its inception had taken
several initiatives for the overall development of the state and
the welfare of people. He said that SAD being a party of a common
man attached with the people at a grass root level and committed
to serve them in the right earnest. He said that our government
had taken various measures to ensure overall development and progress
in the areas of power, industry, agriculture, education, infrastructure
and health care. He reiterated that with our concerted efforts
Punjab would soon emerge as a front-runner state in the country
that had been relegated to the 6th slot due to the negligence
of the successive Congress governments. He lashed at Congress
for miserably failing at all the fronts and thereby bringing disgrace
to the state. He said that the previous Congress Chief Ministers
did not pleaded the state's case at Centre in right earnest which
ultimately retarded the development in the state. He said; "Chief
Minister of any state has to act as an efficient advocate to plead
the case of his or her state before the Centre who acts as a judge".
Later, the Chief Minister honoured the nephews of Shaheed-e-Azam
Bhagat Singh Mr.Gursewak Singh, Mr.Jagtar Singh & Mr.Abhey
Singh Sandhu and other family members. The Chief Minister also
honoured 11 eminent freedom fighters including four freedom fighters
and their seven widows and on the occasion. He announced a grant
of Rs.20 lakh for the purchase of four kanals plot of land from
an NRI for the expansion of the museum.
Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia also
paid glorious tributes to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru
and Sukhdev and said that their unparalleled sacrifices would
ever act as a source of inspiration for our youth to serve their
motherland.
Prominent amongst others who spoke on the occasion included Deputy
Speaker Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal, Member Parliament from
Hoshiarpur Mr.Avinash Rai Khanna, Chief Parliamentary Secretary
& MLA Balachaur Ch.Nand Lal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary
& MLA Phillaur Sarwan Singh Phillaur, MLA Banga Mohan Lal,
MLA Nawanshahar Jatinder Singh Kariha, Secretary SGPC Jathedar
Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, District President SAD Nawashahar Mohinder
Singh Hussainpuri, Vice President State unit BJP Varinder Kaur
Thandi.
Punjab Government today successfully broke
the stalemate on the farmers' agitation
Chandigarh March 23
The Punjab Government today successfully broke the stalemate
on the farmers' agitation over the high profile Trident land acquisition
issue which had rocked the state for more than two years.
An agreement to this effect was reached at a meeting chaired
by the Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and attended by
the representatives of the Trident Group and the Bhartiya Kisan
Union (B.K.U. - Ugrahan) here on Friday evening.
The Trident issue had been agitating the minds of the Punjab
farmers and its amicable settlement was one of the key promises
made in the manifesto of the SAD in the February 2007 Assembly
poll in the state.
Releasing the details of the agreement, Mr. Harcharan Bains,
Media Advisor to the Chief Minister, disclosed here today that
the Trident Group had agreed to pay a 70% enhancement over the
original compensation amount announced during the regime of the
previous government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh. The enhancement
would pass a benefit of Rs. 19.5 crores to the affected farmers.
On its part the government, had withdrawn all Trident-related
cases against the agitating farmers. The families of the three
farmers who died during the agitation had been paid Rs. 5 (Five)
lakh each by the present government and one dependent from each
family had been given a job. A compensation worth Rs. 25000 (Twenty
Five Thousand) per head to the 70 farmers injured during the stir,
said Mr. Bains, adding that the Deputy Commissioner, Barnala,
had been directed to take follow-up steps for the implementation
of the understanding reached.
The Media Advisor further said the Chief Minister had ordered
a complete waiver of the Registration Fee and Stamp Duty on the
land that the farmers purchase in the state within two years with
the money they receive as compensation price. In addition, the
farmers who did not already have a tube-well connection would
be given one on their newly purchased land in the state while
no shifting charges would be levied on those with a tube- well
connection on the acquired land, said Mr. Bains. He said that
the Chief Minister had already directed the Secretaries of Revenue
and the Irrigation and Power Departments to take the necessary
steps in this regard.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister, Mr. Bains has appealed
to the B.K.U. (Ugrahan) to withdraw their agitation on the issue,
including the proposed Rail Roko scheduled for March 25.
It may be recalled that a total of 376 acres had been acquired
during the Amarinder Singh regime at a price which the farmers,
their associations and the SAD-BJP had termed as "arbitrary
and unsatisfactory". Mr. Badal had been vehemently pursuing
the issue ever since assuming charge as Chief Minister for the
fourth time. One of his first decisions during the present tenure
was to convene a meeting on the issue in March 2007 followed by
direct negotiations with the representatives of the B.K.U. (Ugrahan)
to redress the farmers' problems. Senior Akali leader and former
Punjab minister and Member of Parliament, Pr. Prem Singh Chandumajra
played a key role in solving what had seemed "an intractable
issue" to the previous regime. Mr. Badal has thanked Mr.
Chandumajra for his "untiring efforts" for the resolution
of the problem.
