OPERATION BLUESTAR ANNIVERSARY ON JUNE 6: Deputy CM meets Sikh leaders, calls for peace

OPERATION BLUESTAR ANNIVERSARY ON JUNE 6

Deputy CM meets Sikh leaders, calls for peace

In view of the Operation Bluestar anniversary, security personnel take out a flag march in Jalandhar on Friday. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), June 3

Three days ahead of the 32nd anniversary of Operation Bluestar, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal today met a five-member committee of Sikh radical leaders at his residence at Badal village here.

Sukhbir said: “I have appealed to the committee members to maintain peace on June 6 during the observance of Operation Bluestar anniversary.” He said the delegation did not have any grouse against the state government.

The committee comprised SAD (A) leaders Jaskaran Singh Kahansinghwala and Prof Mohinderpal Singh and UAD leaders Bhai Mohkam Singh, Gurdeep Singh Bathinda and Wassan Singh Jaffarwal.

They handed over a four-page handwritten memorandum, which they drafted on the spot, to the Deputy CM seeking a ban on the deployment of SGPC taskforce and policemen in civvies at the Golden Temple complex.

They also sought an assurance from the government that the three parallel jathedars won’t be arrested during their address to the Sikh sangat from Akal Takht. They also demanded the release of political Sikh prisoners, referring to fasting Surat Singh Khalsa’s struggle.

“We are awaiting Sukhbir’s reply over the memorandum given to him. He has assured us in the morning that he would discuss the demands with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,” said Kahansighwala. Bhai Gurdeep Singh said they had told the Deputy CM that they wished to address the sangat at the Golden Temple on June 6. "We also informed him that the Sarbat Khalsa Organisation is against the deployment of heavy forces in Amritsar," he said.

He said the deployment of a large number of security personnel in uniform and in plain clothes not only created panic among the community but also sent a wrong signal across the globe.

"We have no hidden agenda. We do not want to disturb the hard-earned peace of Punjab. All we want is to address the public on June 6," he added.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Govt takes measures to ensure potable water in Muktsar, Fazilka

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 30

The state government has directed the Superintending Engineer (Water Quality), Mohali, to change his base to Muktsar in an effort to improve the functioning of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department in waterlogging-affected Muktsar and Fazilka districts.

The government wants to ensure that residents get a potable water supply.

As per the orders issued by Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, the Superintending Engineer would look after the works in Muktsar, Malout and Abohar divisions.

Sources said the order had come on the directions of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who, during his Sangat Darshans, was not satisfied with the replies of some local officers.

Notably, this area is the worst-affected from waterlogging and most of the residents do not get a potable water supply.

Further, a large number of works have been sanctioned and are underway to ensure a quality water supply to every house.

An executive engineer said the move would prove to be beneficial as the workload would be divided and they would be able to keep a close watch on every project.

Besides, the state government has also directed Chief Engineer, Drainage, PS Ghuman to set up his office in Gidderbaha and function from there on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday till July 30.

The step has been taken to supervise the anti-waterlogging works and flood protection during the monsoon season.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Lambi all set to be renewable energy hub

Two projects take off today

• A solar power project of 28 MW is scheduled to be inaugurated on Friday
• Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Minister for Renewable Energy Bikram Singh Majithia are scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a 150-MW power project at Banwala village

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Lambi (Muktsar), June 2

The home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal — Lambi Assembly segment — is all set to become the hub of renewable energy production in the state with some new projects coming up in the near future.

This VVIP constituency already houses a 19 MW solar power project at Panjawa village and a 14.5 MW biomass power project at Channu village.

Further, a solar power project of 28 MW commissioned at a cost of Rs 202 crore is scheduled to be inaugurated tomorrow. It is split in two parts — 24 MW at Killianwalli village and 4 MW at Bhitiwala village.

Further, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Minister for Renewable Energy Bikram Singh Majithia are scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a 150 MW power project at a total commissioning cost of Rs 798 crore tomorrow at Banwala village.

This project is split into five parts having 50 MW in Lambi, 50 MW in Fazilka district and 50 MW in Bathinda district.

Notably, Azure Power is the lone company investing in solar power projects in Lambi Assembly constituency.

HS Wadhwa and Preet Sandhu, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of the company, said, “We have the highest market share in solar power generation in the state with a total capacity of 225 MW under various stages. In December last year, our company had secured 150 MW out of a total tender capacity of 500 MW for which bids were submitted by 18 companies.”

Besides, Muktsar district houses two solar power projects of 2 MW and 1.5 MW at Bhagsar village, a 2 MW solar power project at Lakhewali village and a 1.5 MW solar power project at Bhuttiwala village. The district also houses two biomass cogeneration power projects of 5 MW and 12.5 MW in the industrial units.

Amarpal Singh, Chief Executive Officer, PEDA, said, “Once the 150 MW solar power project is commissioned, it will provide electricity to nearly one lakh houses or 340 villages. This plant will be equivalent to planting 13 lakh trees.”

He said that Mansa district was leading in solar power generation with 211.53 MW power projects already commissioned, followed by 88.1 MW in Fazilka district, 69.3 MW in Bathinda district and 53 MW in Muktsar district.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Akali leader on his own trip

Akali leader on his own trip

SAD leader Rozy Barkandi (left) and SOI leader Robin Brar travelling in a luxury bus during a trip to Salasar Dham in Rajasthan. Tribune photo

Muktsar: Even as the Punjab Government is holding the Dharmik Darshan Yatra, taking people to various religious places free of cost in trains and buses, the Akali leadership has started a private pilgrimage tour. Recently, SAD’s Muktsar constituency incharge Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’ organised a two-day trip to Salasar Dham in Rajasthan, taking along a select group in two super luxury buses modified by Delhi-based Dilip Chhabria. However, this move has upset the people who consider themselves close to Rozy but were not picked. They are asking him to undertake another such tour.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Cashing in on Sangat Darshan

Cashing in on Sangat Darshan

Muktsar: The Chief Minister’s two-day Sangat Darshan programme in his assembly segment (Lambi) proved beneficial for Youth Akali Dal (YAD) activist Ranjodh Singh Lambi, who is contesting the Panjab University Senate elections. While the CM was meeting the public, Ranjodh was interacting with the officers, seeking their votes and distributing his poll campaign material. Some officers were heard telling him, “You are killing two birds with one stone.” Indeed, the YAD activist managed to make his presence felt before the CM, while pursuing his own agenda.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

‘Budha Jarnail’ evokes chuckle

‘Budha Jarnail’ evokes chuckle

Muktsar: During a recent Sangat Darshan programme in Lambi assembly segment, a speaker welcomed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by calling him ‘Budha Jarnail’ (old general), making everyone laugh. However, when one asks the octogenarian about his age, he says proudly, “Main taa aje jawana naalo vee takda haan! (I am still fitter than the youngsters).” No wonder, the ‘youthful’ CM’s back-to-back programmes are leaving cops and bureaucrats breathless, especially in Muktsar district.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Badal all praise for Modi, says Centre helps state

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a Sangat Darshan at a village in Lambi, Muktsar, on Sunday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, May 29

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while countering PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh’s recent statement that it was the Congress government led by Dr Manmohan Singh which had cared for Punjab.

Badal said the BJP-led NDA government had given several gifts to the state, such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS); the Indian Institute of Management (IIM); heritage status to Amritsar; inclusion of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana under the Smart Cities project; World Heritage Park status to the Jallianwala Bagh; and the Horticulture Research Institute of Excellence at Amritsar.

Badal further said, “The Centre will never turn down any of our genuine demands for the betterment of the state and its people. We have benefited immensely from the Centre’s decision to give us a bigger pie of the taxes, accelerating development and growth in Punjab.”

On the spurt in farmer suicides, Badal said, “The state government can’t do anything about the bank loans. But it has passed the Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness Bill, which provides for expeditious settlement of farmers’ debt disputes. The process for setting up the district-level forums and the state-level tribunal has already been initiated. This will mitigate the woes of the beleaguered farming community.”

Badal preferred to keep mum over the standoff between Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma. “What can I say about their controversy?” he said.

Retd teacher, sniffer dog land in hospital 

Two persons, including a retired teacher, fainted during the CM’s Sangat Darshan programme in Mahuana and Fatehpur Manian villages on Sunday. The retired teacher was taken to hospital in a private vehicle as the ambulance was stuck in a traffic jam. A sniffer dog of the district police pooped blood at Mahuana village. It was also rushed to a hospital. Asked about the urgency of holding Sangat Darshan programmes in the hot and humid weather, the CM said, “We Punjabis don’t feel the heat. The persons might have fainted due to some other reason.”

Courtesy: The Tribune