SANGRUR IN MALWA AND JALANDHAR & HOSHIARPUR IN DOABA ALSO TO BE DEVELOPED AS MODERN CITIES: BADALPATIALA SEPTEMBER 14 : As a part of a significant drive to put the major Punjab towns into the global orbit, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today unfolded a Rs. 250 crore development package for the historic city of Patiala, covering the entire spectrum of infrastructure transformation and upgrading the crucial sectors of basic amenities like supply of clean drinking water, road infrastructure, sewerage and sanitation.
Mr. Badal, who was here on a day long Sangat Darshan programme, declared that similar development initiatives would also be launched in other major cities that required immediate attention, including the neighboring district of Sangrur and the twin hubs of Doaba, the Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts .
Mr. Badal launched his first phase of Sangat Darshan Programe from ward no. 1 of Patiala and covered other nine wards by the evening and disbursed approximately Rs. 20 Crore for the various development works. apart from this Rs. 117 crore and Rs. 100 crore for revamping the Electricity supply system and Sewerage in the city .
While listening to the grievances of residents of Patiala, the Chief Minister today openly declared that he would adopt Patiala to be developed as an ultra modern city because the development of this historic city had been blatantly ignored by the previous congress regime. He said the former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had hardly spared five minutes during his five year tenure to listen the woes of the residents of Patiala , his own constituency. Mr. Badal said that he was pained to listen from the people that their wards had been devoid of basic amenities and civic infrastructure like roads, street lighting, drinking water, Sewerage and pavements. Mr. Badal made it clear that now a comprehensive blue print of the development plan of Patiala city would be prepared and the work estimates would be thoroughly checked by a team of experts headed by Technical Advisor to Punjab Government Lt. Gen. (Retd.) B.S. Dhaliwal and Chief Engineers (Quality Control ) from PWD (B & R) and Mandi Board so that the entire schemes and projects could be implemented efficiently with in a stipulated time schedule. He said the main objective of his today’s visit was mainly focused to initiate development programs in the city sans any political motive behind it.
A large number of local residents representing all section of society came to highlight their problems and raise demands on the collective as well as individual basis.. The Chief Minister directed the senior officers of different departments to sort out each and every problem brought into his notice at once.
Regarding the complaints related with the issuing of Blue Cards under Atta-Dal scheme launched by Punjab Government to supply Wheat and Dal at subsidized rates for the poor families, Mr. Badal announced that a fresh survey would be conducted soon in the state by organizing camps at ward levels. He advised the people and the officers to register only eligible beneficiaries under this scheme; otherwise the benefit of this scheme would not percolate down the line to benefit the poor families for whom the scheme was actually meant for. He further informed that similar survey for old age pension and other social schemes would also be conducted soon to the advantage of eligible beneficiaries.
He also announced that Rs. 8.50 crore would be spent to provide free domestic electricity connection for one bulb to the economically weaker sections of the society including installation of meter, the charges of which would be actually borne by the PSEB. Beside a sum of Rs. 5 crore would be spent for the up gradation and beautification of the parks in Patiala . Mr. Badal also announced a grant of Rs. 50 lac for the development of local police line in response to the demand raised by few Police personnel.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister handed over the cheques of Rs. 1.51 crore for Ward No. 1 , , Rs 2.16 Crore for Ward No. 2 , Rs 1.25 Crore for Ward No. 3, Rs 2.75 Crore for Ward No. 4, Rs. 1.51 crore for Ward No. 5, Rs. 2 crore for Ward No. 6, Rs. 2.15 crore for Ward No. 7, Rs. 1.50 Crore for Ward No. 8, Rs. 1.57 Crore for Ward No. 9 and Rs. 1.75 Crore for Ward No. 10 to the respected Councilors of the wards.
On this occasion Mr. Badal was accompanied by Senior Akali leaders Chief parliamentary Secretary Mr. Raj Khurana, President NRI wing SAD Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, SAD General Secretary Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajara, Vice President SAD Balwinder Singh Saifdipur, former SGPC President Prof. Kirpal Singh Baduangar, Ex Minister Mr. Surjit Singh Kohli, Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Ex Chairman SS Board Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu, District SAD President (Urban) Indermohan Singh Bajaj, District President BJP (Urban) Balwant Rai, President SOI Mr. Gurpreet Singh Raju Khanna, Commissioner Municipal Corporation SK Ahaluwalia ,Deputy Commissioner Mr. Vikas Garg, DIG Patiala Range Mr. PS Gill and SSP Patiala Mr. S.K Asthana besides party leaders and workers SAD & BJP.