CHANDIGARH AUGUST 25:Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called upon the Civil and Army authorities to embark upon an ambitious joint action plan to combat any sort of eventuality arising out of the natural calamities in the state.
Addressing a galaxy of Defence and Civilian Officers at Civil Military Liaison Conference organized by Western Command here at Chandi Mandir headquarters, Mr. Badal asked both the Civil and Army authorities to work out modalities in accordance with the disaster management plan of the State. He highly appreciated the role of Army in extending timely and all out support and cooperation to the civil administration to control the menace of recent floods in the state. Mr. Badal emphasized the need to further boost the efforts of coordination between the Army and civil administration to effectively manage the natural calamities.
Responding to the various issues raised by the Army authorities, the Chief Minister said that the state government had agreed in principle to approve payment of the difference of scholarship by the Ministry of Defence and that offered by the state. He also said that the road link between Air Force Station Chandigarh and Air Force Station High Grounds would be metalled by the Punjab Mandi Board within this year. He also mentioned necessary instructions had already been issued by the state government for co-opting army representatives as special invitees for district planning committees of the four border districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. He further said that the drainage wing of the state irrigation department had been directed to complete all the pending construction works of Dhussi Bundh on top priority. Regarding the construction of cunette in Chakki River near Pathankot, Mr. Badal pointed out that nearly Rs.1.6 crore had been released by the state government and the work was in progress.
To another demand raised by Army authorities for civil sewage disposal facility at Air Force Station Pathankot, Mr. Badal said that the work on this project would be taken up under the scheme of Urban Infrastructure Development of Small & Medium Towns (UIDSMT), funds for which had already been released to the Municipal Committee Pathankot. Mr. Badal also informed in the meeting that the stamp duty and registration charges worth more than Rs.1 crore for the Army Institute of law (AIL), Mohali have been waived off in the Cabinet. Moreover, the land cost of AIL had also been reduced to its previous decided amount of Rs.2 crore instead of Rs.4 crore. Likewise, a sum of Rs.2.69 crore of octroi earlier charged as additional duty by the state government has been reimbursed to Jalandhar and Ferozepur cantonments. A sum of Rs.96 lac had been released for restoration of Jagatjit Palace, Kapurthala and Rs.1.32 crore for the construction of additional hostel in the Sainik School there, added Mr.Badal.
The state government had also directed the PUDA to issue necessary directions for permission to run CSD canteen for ex-servicemen at Mohali till the establishment of Zila Sainik Bhawan in sector 64 (Phase X) Mohali. The work relating to the fly over, by-pass and four lanning of NH-64 at Bathinda Military Station were already in advanced state of planning.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs.5 lac to the GOC-in-C Western Command Lt. Gen.TK Sapru as one time grant to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Mohali for the repair of wheelchairs, prosthetics and other implements.
Meanwhile, Director General of Punjab Police NPS Aulakh made a detailed presentation on the internal security plan of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, GOC-in-C Western Command Lt. Gen.TK Sapru complimented the Chief Minister for the prompt resolution of the pending issues through taking personal initiative. He assured Mr. Badal on behalf of Western Command to extend full cooperation to the civil administration in fighting natural calamities in future too. He hoped for a further better understanding and cooperation besides the need for a coordinated approach between the civil and military authorities in the larger interest of the society.
Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included Cooperation & Defence Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Chief Secretary RI Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru, Principal Secretary Home Dr.BC Gupta, Principal Secretary Defence Services AR Talwar, Principal Secretary Irrigation & Power Suresh Kumar and Principal Secretary PWD (B&R) Kulbir Singh.