by Punjabnewswire4u (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, SETP 22
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that Punjab Government has requested the Union Government to make the relevant amendments in the rules to treat complete canal system of Punjab as one canal besides immediately releasing Central grant of Rs. 3000 crore to reach rejuvenate 150-year-old canal system of the state.
Speaking after inaugurating 15-km long minor constructed at the cost of Rs. 8.5 crore at village Araianwala today, Mr. Badal said that in the era of water scarcity, 20% water in the Punjab Canal gets wasted due to seepage. He said that amendment in the rules for Punjab to treat whole canal systems of the State as one canal has been sought from the Union government to rejuvenate whole canal system in one go rather than in piece meal manner.
The Deputy Chief Minister also demanded canalization of Ghaggar be treated as national project. He said that Punjab with mere 1.5% geographical area of the country was providing 60% food grain in the Central kitty and it was the responsibility of Union government to upgrade and maintain the canal network of the state.
Mr. Badal said that Punjab Government had been pressurizing the Union Government the declare Punjab as Special Agriculture Zone with all subsidies and facilities given to agriculture sector as being given to Industry in the SEZs. He said that to make agriculture a remunerative professional Union government would have to implement Swaminathan Commission report linking MSP with Whole Sale Price Index or calculating 50% profit over the total cost of agricultural inputs.
Later on inaugurating Baba Farid Rural Sports Festival at Local Nehru Stadium, Mr. Badal informed that the Punjab Cabinet had recently approved its new Sports Policy- 2010 aimed at achieving excellence in the sports giving incentives to sportspersons, who win laurels for the state at national as well as international level.
He further said that an elaborate state specific system of ranking of sportspersons in selected sports disciplines was being introduced. Under this system sportspersons in a particular discipline would be ranked every year from 1st to 100th rank and they shall be issued a ranking certificate by sports department.
He disclosed that 10 World Class Stadiums equipped with flood lights with combined cost of Rs. 65 crores for Hockey, Cricket, Kabaddi, Football, Volleyball and Handball would be developed/ upgraded at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Faridkot, Bathinda, SAS Nagar, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Mansa and Gurdapsur within next 12 months. Apart from this a Centre of excellence at Jalandhar and regional Centers at Mohali and Bathinda would be established to prepare highly skilled sportsmen for national/international competitions.
Mr. Badal announced a Rs. 10 crore special grant for various development projects of Faridkot City. He revealed that in last three years Rs. 352 crores had already been spent on various development projects in Faridkot district.
Earlier Mr. Badal inaugurated a Rs. 1.5 crore water works, a Laundry plant for old age home and newly beautified Kameana chowk. He also laid the foundation stone of a hostel building for disabled children in the city.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Bibi Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, MP, Mr. Gurdev Singh Badal ex. Minister, Mr. Mohinder Singh Romana, Mr. Lakhbir Singh Araianwala Chairman District Planning Committee, Mr. Kushaldeep Singh Dhillion Ex.MLA, Mr. Makhan Singh Nangal Member SGPC and Mr. Paramhans Romana, Chairman Improvement Trust and Senior officers of district administration.
No comments:
Post a Comment