Punjab News Parkash Singh Badal storms brother’s den

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Abohar April 23:

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal showered grants worth crores of rupees on the panchayats of 73 villages under Balluana Assembly segment — considered as the stronghold of his brother Gurdas Badal.

Taking a dig at the leaders of the People's Party of Punjab, floated by his nephew Manpreet Badal, former Finance Minister and son of Gurdas Badal, the Chief Minister said it was a group of such people who "deserted their mother parties". Such leaders, said he, always failed to win the confidence of the people.

Earlier scheduled to hold sangat darshan till the evening and then fly back to Chandigarh, the Chief Minister cancelled his programme and decided to listen to the grievances of every panchayat till late night. Accompanied by Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh, Badal first met the residents at the house of Sanjeev Godara, Director of Punjab Mandi Board and SAD political advisor, at Seeto Guno village in the morning. Later, he held three sangat darshan programs in Balluana and Abohar Assembly segments.

Distributing grants worth Rs 6.5 crore among the panchayats for carrying out developmental works, Badal claimed the revenue earnings of Punjab had increased and, therefore, funds would not be a problem for initiating welfare projects. Badal also directed the deputy commissioners of various districts falling in the cotton belt of Punjab to ensure that BT cotton seed was easily available to all growers.

Stern action, said he, should be taken against those found negligent of any wrongdoing in the distribution (of BT cotton seed). He also directed the senior functionaries of the Agriculture Department to extensively tour the cotton belt to oversee the distribution of BT cotton seeds. About wheat procurement, he said the process would remain hassle-free and if farmers faced any problem on account of delay being caused by any procurement agency, the deputy commissioner concerned would take necessary steps to set things right.

Regarding SGPC elections, Badal alleged that the Union government was deliberately delaying the process. "This is clear cut interference in the religious matters of Sikhs by the Centre," he said. Will Abohar and Fazilka be elevated to district level? Badal said a committee comprising Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia had been set up in this connection. "The state government would consider the report of this committee over the creation of new districts whenever it (report) was submitted."

Punjab cm meets Cong MLA: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met the local Congress MLA Sunil Jakhar and his associates to listen to their grievances before starting his Sangat Darshan function in a banquet hall, located on the Abohar-Malout road. Instead of calling Jakhar and his associates into the hall, he reached to them and listened to them patiently. Jakhar praised Badal’ s goodwill gesture. He said he had raised the issue of overflowing of sewerage system in the city.

It was also brought to the notice of the CM that in the absence of sewerage treatment plant, 700 acres of land, where the sewage accumulated, had become unfit for cultivation. Jakhar also apprised the Chief Minister about erecting of a wall in the Malukpura distributary by the Irrigation Department. Jakhar said Badal directed DC KK Yadav to look into the matter. He also assured of action regarding the wall in Malukpura distributary.

He also said that the law would take its course in case of the murderous attack made on a local journalist Subash Gupta by goons and the murder of a leading hotelier in Jalandhar.

 
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