Grant for construction and Repair of Dharamshala increased –Ranike

Chandigarh, November 18, 2008

Punjab Government has enhanced the rate of grant for the construction of new Dharamshalas from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. One lac for the scheduled caste.

Disclosing this here today Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, Welfare of Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes Minister Punjab said that the Punjab government was committed to provide better facilities to the scheduled caste people in the state to organize social get-to gather at the time of their ceremonial functions such as marriage or other community gatherings.

Mr. Ranike further said that grant for the repair of old Dharamshalas has also been increased from Rs. 15000/- to Rs. 50,000/-. He said that Rs. 5 crore has been allocated for this purpose.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 102074 DISABLED PERSONS-SWARNA RAM

Chandigarh, November 18, 2008

Punjab government was committed to provide equal opportunities with disabilities to enable them to lead a life of Independence & dignity and for this purpose Punjab government was giving Rs. 250/- per month per person as financial assistance to 102074 disabled persons in the state who were having at least 50 percent disability.

Disclosing this here today Ch. Swarna Ram Social Security and Welfare of Women and Child Development Minister Punjab said that this assistance was giving to permanently disabled blind, orthopedically handicapped deaf and dumb and mentally challenged persons. The Financial assistance would provided from the first of the month in which the medical certificate issued by the Medical Officer.

He further said that the monthly income of the applicant would not exceed Rs. 1000/- per month in case of individual and Rs. 1500/- if husband and wife both are alive. In case a applicant is not earning then the income of his parents would not exceed Rs. 2500/- per month in case such parents have more than two children, their income would not exceed Rs. 3000/- per month.

The Minister also said that the Punjab Government has earmarked Rs. 2600 lac as budget provision for the year 2008-09 to provide financial assistance to disabled persons.

PUNJAB CM REVIEWS PROGRESS OF CIVIL AVIATION PROJECTS

CHANDIGARH NOVEMBER 18, 2008

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today reviewed the progress regarding the various ongoing projects of civil aviation in the state including the prestigious Mohali International Airport, Talwandi Sabo Flying Training Academy and expansion of Amritsar International Airport.

Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal asked the Secretary Civil Aviation to get these projects expedited so that they could be completed with in the stipulated time schedule. He was apprised in the meeting about the presentation made by Price Waterhouse at New Delhi about the Mohali International Airport in which Airport Authority of India (AAI) and officers of Governments of Punjab and Haryana participated at Delhi on November 17 for setting up of joint venture in this regard.

The Chief Minister was also informed that the government of Haryana had already given its due share of Rs.230 crore for the setting up of Mohali International Airport as per the terms and conditions of the tripartite agreement signed amongst the governments of Punjab, Haryana and AAI.

It was also informed in the meeting that the Civil Enclave Bathinda and the extended Cargo and bonded Warehouse facility at Amritsar International Airport had already been cleared by the AAI apart from approval by the Ministry of Defence GoI for setting up of Talwandi Sabo Flying Training Academy. Mr. Badal also directed the Civil Aviation department to immediately initiate the proceedings for the acquisition of land for setting up of Flying Training Academies at Talwandi Sabo and Faridkot.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Education & Civil Aviation Minister Mrs.Upenderjit Kaur, Finance Minister Mr.Manpreet Singh Badal, Chief Secretary RI Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru, Principal Secretary Finance SC Aggarwal, Secretary Civil Aviation Viswajit Khanna, Director Civil Aviation Gagandeep Singh Brar and Advisor Civil Aviation Capt. Abey Chandra

BADAL CALLS UPON CENTRE TO MAKE PRO-PEOPLE POLICIES

LUDHIANA NOVEMBER 17, 2008

Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal today called upon the Centre to make policies as per the felt needs of the people to make them prosper rather it should not impose on them forcefully.

Addressing a mammoth gathering of Cooperators at a state level function to observe 55th All India Cooperative Week here at Baddowal, Mr. Badal who was the chief guest said: "You can not expect of the policy makers sitting in the air conditioned rooms to formulate policies for the people, who do not have even an iota of any knowledge about their socio-economic conditions". He said that these policies could only be realistic and meaningful if they were based on the ground realities rather than jugglery of bare statistics.

Lauding the role of Cooperation movement in the development of agrarian sector of the state, Mr.Badal said that no doubt it has played a pivotal role in restructuring and strengthening of the agriculture and its allied sectors but still lot more was to be done to bring awareness about its significance amongst the cooperators at the grass roots level. He underscored the need to shift from traditional agriculture in terms of wheat-paddy rotation, which was no more remunerative due to low returns as compared to high cost of inputs. He pointed out that the transformation of agriculture sector by way of adopting dairy farming was not merely an alternative but an integral part of diversification which was too the need of the hour. He solicited the services of progressive dairy farmers to motivate the farmers to take up dairy farming and should develop few advanced dairy farms as role model to promote dairy farming as a vocation in a big way.

Blaming the Centre for anti-farmer policies, Mr.Badal said that though Punjab was an agrarian state but the entire policies for the procurement of foodgrains, fixation of minimum support price and supply of DAP and fertilizers was framed by the Centre without taking states into confidence. Taking a strong exception to the callous attitude of the Centre for adopting discriminatory approach towards Punjab farmers, Mr. Badal said that instead of appreciating us for bailing out the country out of the severe food crisis by contributing 70% in the national food pool they even denied our justified right to give us remunerative MSP on paddy during the current Kharif marketing season. Mr. Badal pointed out that it was a cruel joke with the farmers that the Central government had fixed Rs 850 per quintal as MSP for paddy, which was even much below Rs.1000/- per quintal recommended by Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP). He said: "Probably it is for the first time in the Indian agricultural economy that the Centre had fixed the MSP of paddy below the recommendation of the CACP".

On the occasion, Mr. Badal disbursed bonus of Rs.1.87 crore to the profit making milk producers cooperative societies of Payal and Hans Kalan in Ludhiana district, besides this he also honourd the best performing societies and owners of the prize winning animals of best breed.

Presiding on the occasion, Cooperation Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh said that the cooperation department was committed to tone up the functioning of all the cooperatives in the state to bring efficiency in their functioning. He said that brand 'VERKA' had already captured a sizeable chunk in the marketing of milk and milk products in the country and hoped that it would soon emerge as a brand ambassador in the international market also. He pointed out that with the introduction of concept of hiring of agriculture implements and tractors at nominal rates and marketing of Verka products through the cooperative societies had not only make them self sustaining but also economically viable. He emphasized the need to run cooperative milk plants on commercial lines to compete with the private key-players in this sector like Nestle and Reliance. He said that to encourage the dairy farming the state cooperative banks would provide
soft loans to the prospective dairy farmers at nominal rate of interest. For women empowerment, 'Punjab Women Dairy Project, had been started and 390 women milk producers societies consisting of 19000 members have been organized under this scheme, added Capt. Kanwaljit Singh.

Chairman Milk Ajmer Singh Bhagpur demanded the sanction to recruit more staff in Milk Plant Ludhiana keeping in view the shortage.

Prominent amongst others those who also spoke on the occasion included Deputy Speaker Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Attwal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Cooperation Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Chairman Milkfed Gurbachan Singh Babehali, M.D. Milkfed V.K. Singh, Chairman Punjab State Cooperative Bank Jasjeet Singh Banni, Chairman Milk Union Ludhiana Ajmer Singh Bhagpur, MD Markfed Jarnail Singh Wahid. The function was also attended by the Financial Commissioner Cooperation AR Talwar, MD Sugerfed VK Bhalla and President Progressive Dairy Farmers Punjab Daljit Singh.

SIKH EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY bestow Gurmat Awards

CHANDIGARH, November 17, 2008

The Sikh Educational Society (SES) has decided to bestow Gurmat Awards, being given in the memory of Panth Rattan Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra every year, upon two prominent Sikh scholars, namely, Dr. Gurbakhash Singh and S. Harinder Singh Mehboob, this time. The SES is a prestigious organization, which is managing over half a dozen prominent educational institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab.

Disclosing this in a press note released here, today, Col (Retd.) Jasmer Singh Bala, Secretary, SES, said that these awards would be given in a special function, being organized in Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh on 22 November, 08. Mr. Hira Singh Gabria, Jails, Cultural Affairs and Printing & Stationary Minister, Punjab, will preside over the function, while Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, a world renowned Environmentalist will be the Chief Guest on the occassion.

Col. Bala intimated that Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra had been associated with SES as its President for a long time. During his able and dynamic leadership, the SES and its educational institutions achieved highest achievements in education & sports fields, and also made valuable contributions in the spheres of religion, culture, literature, etc. He said that the SES instituted these Gurmat Awards in 2005 in the memory of Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra who had set the example of selfless service & value based way of life.

He informed that Dr. Kharak Singh Mann, Prof. Manmohan Sehgal, Dr. JS Grewal, Dr. Kirpal Singh, Prof. Prthipal Singh Kapoor, Dr. Balkar Singh, Dr. Sarup Singh Alag, Dr. Gurnam Singh and Dr. Madamjit Kaur have been honored with these awards so far.

Col. Bala stated that Dr. Gurbakhash Singh, who is active in the functioning of Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, has make unique contribution in the field of Sikh History & Theology at the International level. Similarly, S. Harinder Singh Mehboob, who has been conferred with prestigious Sahit Academy & Shiromani Kavi Awards, is a major Punjabi Poet and a Sikh Scholar.