Jaswant Singh Gandam
PHAGWARA: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Thursday night declared that the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), headquartered at Phagwara, will have DC-like powers so that people of Phagwara don’t have to go long distances from Phagwara to their district headquarters at Kapurthala for their routine work.
Calling the Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal,present nearby at the Lok Milni programme at local Gandhi chowk, on the stage, the CM directed him to do the needful within the coming days.
Mann did so in response to demand by AAP’s Phagwara Halqa Incharge cum MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewa’s and the public demand for giving district status to Phagwara.
Mann said that he will consult experts and consider the issue with them as upgrading a Sub-division into a district was a long process requiring separate arrangements such as offices of DC,SSP,district Judges,their residences and infrastructure.
“I am aware of your problem and at present ask DC to delegate district-level administrative powers to Phagwara ADC for the convenience of people”, Mann declared.
He also reiterated that JCT mill will be restarted and the glory of its football club also restored.
Announcing Rs 18.57 crore development projects for Phagwara, Mann also gave cheques of Rs 30 lakh each to local Mayor Ram Pal Uppal and Athauli village Sarpanch Kulwinder Singh for urban and rural development works.
Addressing the Lok Milni,Mann listed various development works done by his government during the last four and a half years.
He took to task both SAD(B),Congress and BJP,dubbing them as Shiromani Akali Dal(Beadbi/Chitta party),Congress as Jhagra party and BJP as ED party. Referring to the migration of youths to foreign shores,especially from Doaba, Mann said that their exodus abroad was due to youths ‘gussa’ (resentment) with the system.
He saisd ,”Akalis have hooked youths to Chitta as Chiita was smuggled in red-beacon government vehicles of certain ministers during Akali government.Frightened parents sent their sons and daughters in hordes abroad lest they got hooked to Chitta”.
Without naming them,Mann alleged that ‘Jeeja-Sala’(Sukhbir Badal and Majithia) had been doing this sinister job.
Going further, he alleged that ‘Chacha-Bhateeja’(Congress and SAD) were hand in gloves with each other in matters of looting Punjab.
He said,”SAD and Congress have a 5-point programme-I,my son,my nephew,my brother in law and Jeeja’.They did everything for the development of these five relationships for furthering nepotism.”
He accused Sukhbir Badal of backing out of all what he had confessed at Akal Takhat Sahib on December 2 last year.
He alleged that Akalis used religion for politics and considered religion their personal fiefdom.
“Akalis used to fish out ‘Jathedars’(Head Priests of Akal Takht) either from their one pocket or the other pocket”,he remarked.
Attributing Punjab’s communal problem to 1978 firing at unarmed Sikhs,Mann alleged that Badal(Parkash Singh) ferried the culprits of firing to safety in his own car in order to win polls and become CM.
He was evidently referring to Nirankari-Sikh clash of 1978 in which unarmed Sikhs were killed by armed men from the Nirankari side at Amritsar. Continuing,he said that the two communities were engaged in fratricidal war for political purposes. He reiterated that the Majithia family hosted dinner for General Dyer on the same night Dyer had opened fire at innocent people in Jallianwala Bagh on April 13,1919.
He alleged that Jathedar Aroor Singh,maternal grandfather of SAD(A) stalwart Simranjit Singh Mann, presented a robe of honour to the same General after two months in Darbar Sahib. He alleged that SAD and Congress parties have dealt severe economic,political and religious blows to Punjab.
He claimed that use of canal water,which was just 22%, was now 78% and will become 90% within a fortnight. He further claimed that the depleting underground water table was improving and a Central government’s report had said that the underground water level in Punjab had risen by 2-4 feet. “22 lakh cusec litre water has now accumulated underground in the state”,he said.
He said Congress was on its last breath while BJP was trying to sow seeds of communal hatred in Punjab but it would not succeed.
He said that in case there was any SAD-BJP pact,it would be like friendship between a tortoise and a mouse. He gave details of the analogy by narrating an anecdote as to how a tortoise and a mouse tied their tails to each other and both died subsequently.
“SAD was like a bed-ridden aged man and would have its last breath anytime”,he predicted.
He told Akalis not to live in a fool’s paradise by waiting for their ‘Vaari’(turn) for political power but they should rather now wait for their ‘Vaari’ to go to jail. He counted several works of his government,especially the strict law to check the sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib.
He asked women to get ready for getting Rs 1000-1500 monthly. He asked people to vote AAP to power again so that the remaining development works,including making power wires underground,can be completed.
He was honoured by Phagwara Market Association. A delegation of BKU(D),led by its President Manjit Singh Rai met the CM and submitted a memorandum to him,demanding payment of Rs 28 crore dues of cane farmers pending with local Sugar Mill.
The delegation,including BKU(D) Vice President Kirpal Singh Moosapur, also demanded that the cane farmers should be saved from the cut being imposed by Sugar Mill on them for the low yield of cane owing to inclement weather.
But two leaders of Divyang Action Committee including its President Lakhvir Singh Saini and Women Wing chief Davinder Kaur,who also wanted to present a memorandum to the CM,were placed under house detention inorder to foil their attempt but were let off later.
Irritating restrictions were seen in the city in the name of security arrangements since 11 am yesterday even though the CM was to come at 7 pm in the evening, much to the inconvenience and chagrin of the public.
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