BADAL CALLS ON UNION HOME MINISTER SEEKS PROMPT REVISION OF NORMS UNDER CRF

CHANDIGARH NOVEMBER 20, 2008

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today sought a comprehensive package of Rs.14.61 crore for the next of kin of 788 persons killed during President rule in the state. Mr. Badal raised this issue when he called on Union Home Minister Mr. Shivraj V. Patil in his office at New Delhi.

Giving the details of the meeting Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains said that Mr. Badal also asked the Union Home Minister to grant Rs.116 crore for setting up of Mega City Policing facility in Ludhiana and Amritsar.

One of the major issues raised by Mr. Badal pertained to police verification of passengers traveling by bus to Lahore. Mr. Badal said that this requirement should be dispensed with.

Referring to the issue of the construction of Modern Jail at Faridkot, Mr. Badal also demanded the release of Rs.103 crore as one time grant for the improvement of the Jail Infrastructure in the State. The Chief Minister sought Mr. Patil's personal intervention for releasing capital grant of Rs. 140 crore for Maharaja Ranjit Singh Police University and Rs. 92.86 crore for the provision of Sewerage and Drinking Water facility in eleven towns of Boder District of Punjab under BADP scheme. Mr. Badal also asked to issue the NOC for the proposed MoU to be signed with the province of British Colombia (Canada), covering the areas of Skill development and education by the State Government.

To mitigate the inconvenience caused to the farmers engaged in agricultural activities across the fence along with the Indo-Pak Border the compensation at the rate of Rs. 5000/- per acre to be released. This would entail a liability of only Rs. 9.25 crore. The Chief Minister also took up the issue with Mr. Patil to immediately revise the existing norms of Calamity Relief Funds (CRF) to enhance the assistance for Crop damaged; from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 15000/- per hectare, for house hold goods; from Rs.1000/- to Rs.50,000/- and for cattle from Rs. 20 to Rs. 50 per day, as the farmers of Punjab being a major agrarian state had to face the brunt of the vagaries of nature.

Mr. Patil assured the Chief Minister that he would soon convene the meeting of the officers to resolve all these issues raised by Mr. Badal on the top priority.

AVTAR SINGH HIT ATTACKS SHEELA DIKSHIT GOVERNMENT FOR COLLUDING WITH POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES TO ROB DELHI RESIDENTS

Chandigarh November 20, 2008

Mr. Avtar Singh Hit BJP-SAD candidate from Rajouri Garden seat today launched a scathing attack on Sheela Dikshit Congress Government for mortgaging the interests of poor public of New Delhi to the private electricity distribution companies.

Addressing gatherings in Rajouri Garden, Khayala, Vishnu Garden, Tagore Garden and Mukharji Park accompanied by local and Punjab BJP-SAD leaders, Mr. Hit said that wrong affidavit submitted by electricity distribution company for Rajouri Garden area BSES has exposed the fact that the company in collusion with Sheela Dikshit government was robbing the general public of Rajouri Garden. He said that without any statutory power company raised the ctric tariff thrice during last five years whereas people hardly received power supply during peak summers.

The wrong affidavit submitted by the BSES has clearly exposed the fact that the company was running operations in Delhi under the direct patronage of Sheila Dikshit Government for a consideration and Chief Minister herself responsible for aiding, abetting and facilitating the company to loot innocent citizens of Delhi. He demanded that an FIR be registered against Sheila Dikshit and BSES top brass for defrauding the public.

Mr. Hit said that an independent enquiry be launched against the company as fast running meters of the company that were approved by Sheela Dikshit Government for a consideration. He also demanded that extra money charged by the company due to fast running meters and also because of wrong revision of power tariff be refunded to the public without delay.

Accusing the Congress Government for mismanagement of power and water distribution sectors, Mr. Hit said that the people of Delhi were being forced to live in a hell due to shortage of power and irregular supply of water in the colonies of Delhi. He said that local congress candidate from Rajouri Dayanand Chandela despite having two members from his family as MC councilors failed to upgrade civic amenities for the area.

Promising uninterrupted power supply by canceling the contract of electricity distribution companies Mr. Hit said that BJP-SAD government would provide inverter free life to the people of capital.

The BJP-SAD candidate said that his government was committed to tackle ever rising prices to provide basic necessities at affordable rates. He regretted that today common cannot afford Dal-Roti due to ever shooting prices of wheat, Dals and vegetables.

Earlier Mr. Hit had thousands of voters through out the day during his extensive padyatra of all the four blocks of Rajouri Garden.

It may be mentioned that all the cabinet members of SAD-BJP Government are fanning through out Delhi campaigning for candidates of BJP and SAD.

Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr. Bikram Singh Maithia Cabinet Minister Punjab, S. Daljit Singh Cheema General Secretary SAD & Punjab CM's Advisor, S. Avtar Singh Makkar President SGPC and Bibi Jagir Kaur former President SGPC are campaigning day and night to ensure victory of BJP-SAD candidates.

SES organize Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Memorial Awards Function

The Sikh Educational Society, Sector 26, Chandigarh is organizing Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Memorial Awards Function at 10.30a.m. on Saturday, 22nd November 2008 in the SGGS College Complex (Multipurpose Hall) to honour prominent personalities who performed a stellar role in the educational, cultural, social and religious field during the recent past.

S. Hira Singh Gabria, Jails, Cultural Affairs, Tourism and Printing & Stationary Minister, Punjab will preside over the function and Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, the internationally renowned environmentalist will the Guest of Honour.

AMRITSAR TO HOST NORTH INDIA'S BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL EXPO

Chandigarh November 20, 2008
Shikha Nehra

The Punjab state would host Punjab International Trade Expo PITEX 2008 to be organized by PHD Chamber at Amritsar from December 3 to December 7. The event would render an integrated approach to serve as a generator of economic growth and development to help achieve the country's overall economic development objectives.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab Government said that this would be the biggest international exposition in the whole of North India and would give ample opportunities to industry, entrepreneurs and corporate sectors from within the country and various south- Asian countries to flourish further and showcase their vast potential. He further said that PITEX 2008 would have a world class infrastructure to accommodate a large number of Exhibitors, business and government delegates from both within the country and overseas. More than one lac business and general visitors are expected to visit the event. Adding further he said that during these five days more than 100 exhibitors and around 1000 visitors per day are expected from Pakistan alone.