ANNOUNCES HIKE IN MINIMUM WAGES AND OWNERSHIP RIGHTS TO VIMUKAT JATISLUDHIANA AUGUST 15:Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today announced to confer ownership rights on the members of the ‘Vimukat Jatis’ (scheduled tribes)
who had constructed houses on the village common land (Shamlat land) on or before 15th August 2008. This decision would benefit 30,000 beneficiaries belonging to Vimukat Jatis including Bazigar, Sansi, Barare, Gandhilay, Natt, Bangale and Bauria.
Addressing the state level 62nd Independence Day function after unfurling the national tri-color and taking a salute during an impressive march past by 25 contingents including Punjab Armed Police, Bharat Scouts & Guides, NCC cadets and Ex-servicemen. Mr. Badal also announced another significant decision of his government to increase the minimum monthly wages of unskilled workers to Rs.3200 from Rs.2620 (with a daily wage up from Rs.100 to Rs.123) thereby benefiting as many as 15 lakh unskilled workers in the state. Besides the Chief Minister also announced to transfer 42000 acre of cultivable land across the banks of the rivers in the state to the tillers who had been tilling over past several years on nominal charges of Rs.1200 per acre.
Paying rich tributes to the freedom fighters and patriots who made supreme sacrifices during the Indian freedom struggle, Mr. Badal said "It is a sad plight that the aspirations of our freedom fighters had not yet been cherished because they dreamt of an Independent India free from the maladies of illiteracy, unemployment and starvation and still after 61 years of freedom we have not been able to provide them with the basic amenities of safe drinking water and electricity what to talk of tall claims like high growth rate in terms of infrastructure, power, telecommunications and civil aviation".
Mr.Badal asked the Centre and State governments to take pledge on this solemn occasion to undertake programmes and schemes exclusively for the development and welfare of a common man at the grass root levels. "It will be a real tribute to our national heroes and great martyrs who made supreme sacrifices for the independence of our country", said Mr.Badal. He however, said that martyrs were not merely restricted to any region, religion and faith rather they belonged to one and all irrespective of caste, colour and creed. He highlighted the immense contribution of Punjabis in the freedom struggle and recalled that nearly 80 per cent of the warriors who made great sacrifices during country’s freedom struggle belonged to Punjab. Not only this, Punjab being the border state suffered the brunt of Partition in which lakhs of families faced the wrath of marauders while others lost their dear ones. Mr. Badal pointed out that the unique sacrifices made by our great martyrs like Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha could not be over looked rather these were a source of inspiration for the future generations. He exhorted the youth to emulate the noble life and philosophy of these great freedom fighters and patriots so that the dignity and honour of the motherland could remain intact.
Lashing at the Centre for delaying the installation of the statue of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh in the Parliament, Mr. Badal asked our leaders: "where were they till today and were they not aware of Bhagat Singh’s unparalleled sacrifice for his motherland even after 61 years of Independence.
Blaming the Central Government for meting out a step motherly treatment to the state governments, Mr. Badal said that the remote control was with Delhi and states had always to look upon them even for their legitimate petty demands and grants. He said that states had virtually no powers with them and were dependent on the Center even for trivial matters. He underscored the need for redefining the central state relations in the changed scenario and casting a true federal structure to secure state’s participation in the national development process as now the prevalent system had been virtually become a unitary one.
Mr. Badal outlined the major initiatives in the overall development of the state and said that to make Punjab self reliant in the power sector, the SAD-BJP Government had chalked out an ambitious programme to generate additional power of more than 7500 MWs by setting up four new thermal plants at Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Gidderbaha and Goindwal Sahib.
On this occasion, Mr. Badal presented State Level Awards comprising of a gold medal, a certificate, a shawl and a cheque of Rs.11000 to 33 prominent personalities for their outstanding contribution in different fields. As a befitting tributes to the legendary budding singer late Ishmeet Singh, Mr. Badal presented a state award to him posthumously. The award consisted of a citation, a special cash award of Rs.11 lakh as announced earlier and a shawl that was received by his parents. The other awardees included Pritam Singh Kumedan, Sardar Anjum, Dr.RC Sobti, Dr.Amarjit Aggarwal, Dr.Manmohan Singh, Dr.KVS Sidhu, Dr.Randeep Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Dr.Sanjiv Goyal, Vaid Jagjit Singh, Nachatar Singh, Hari Singh, Dr.Harjit Singh Nerwal Singh, Dr.Parmpal Singh, Gurdarshan Singh, Vejinder Singh, Bhag Singh, Sham Sunder Juneja, Surinder Kumar Goyal, RP Luthra, Amarjit Kaur Dhillon, Dr.Dulcha Singh Brar, Dr.Milkha Singh Aulkh, Harchand Singh, Dr.Darshan Singh Ashat, Dr.Jaswinder Singh, Vinod Sharma, Dr.Kulwant Kaur, Rubina Shabnam, Manjit Singh Jaggi, Jagwinder Singh and Agam Shingari.
The Chief Minister also presented 15 sewing machines to the needy widows and 15 Tricycles to the physically challenged persons and honored 25 freedom fighters and their family members. During the function, the school children from 60 schools presented an impressive cultural program and mass PT show.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Media Advisor Mr. Harcharn Bains.
Among others who were present on this occasion included Prof. Rajinder Bhandari, President Punjab Unit, Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi former President SGPC, Mr.Mehesh Inder Singh Grewal, Ex-Minister, Mr.NPS Aulkh, DGP Punjab Police, Mr. Inderjit Singh Pardhan Chairman Punjab Small Industry Board, Mr.Satish Dhanda Vice Chairman Medium Industry Board, Mr. Madan Lal Bagga Vice Chairman Punjab Beopar Board, Mr. Sumer Singh Gurjar Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Chander Shekhar, ADGP, Mr. Ishwar Singh DIG Ludhiana Range, Mr. R K Jaiswal SSP Ludhiana, Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura and Mr. GS Ghuman, Commissioner MC .