The Tribune – SAD to meet President on Sajjan’s acquittal today

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 7. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today said they would impress upon President Pranab Mukherjee to form a special investigation team (SIT) to re-investigate the role of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, acquitted recently in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal would be leading a delegation of SAD-BJP coalition MLAs and MPs to meet the President in Delhi tomorrow.

“Surely someone was behind the attack that killed over 3,000 Sikhs in the capital. For, Delhi was not hit by any calamity,” Sukhbir said in a sarcastic remark targeted at the Congress.

“Nevertheless, we will fight for justice till it is done. We will seek the President’s intervention for forming a SIT under the supervision of the Chief Justice of India,” he said. The Deputy Chief Minister was here to attend the 290th birth anniversary function of Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. While paying tributes to the legendary warrior, he assured the Ramgarhia community that the government was committed for its
welfare.

“We should propagate the legacy of Ramgarhia who fought the Mughals valiantly to safeguard the moral and ethical values of humanity based on the tenets of Sikhism,” he said.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he alleged that in the country’s history never had the central cabinet comprised so many “tainted” ministers.

Sukhbir also dared the Congress leadership to put up a fight so that it was not against a “one-sided affair in the zila parishad and block samiti elections”.

“In fact, it will be a litmus test for (Punjab Congress chief) Partap Bajwa and test his political acumen and popularity at the grassroots level,” he said.

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The Tribune – Golden Temple plaza by year-end; Bajwa not a new challenge: Sukhbir

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 10. The construction work on the prestigious Golden Temple entrance plaza would be completed by the end of this year, said Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, here today. accompanied by his wife, Bathinda Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur, he was here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.

“Within a few months, the finishing touches will be given to the project. This unique project will put the holy city on the international tourist circuit and prove to be a boon for thousands of tourists from across the world. The plaza would have an audio-video information system depicting the Sikh history and heritage besides a number of world-class auditoriums,” he said.

To a query, Sukhbir said he had directed the authorities concerned to further accelerate work on the plaza to ensure that there were no delays. He said the government was working on two master plans to make Amritsar one of the beautiful cities in the country.

Sukhbir said the Congress’ change of guard would have no impact on the SAD whatsoever as the party did not consider Partap Singh Bajwa as a “new challenge”. The SAD would continue to follow the development agenda besides formulating “pro-poor, pro-people and pro-Punjab policies.”

Congratulating Bajwa on his elevation as Pradesh Congress chief, Sukhbir invited him to contribute to the state’s development by playing a “constructive role”. To a query, he said the coming Budget would be ‘pro-people” and in the interest of the people as the ruling alliance was committed to overall development.

On the Tarn Taran assault case, the Deputy CM said strict action would be taken against policemen if found guilty. He also said that the government would show “zero tolerance” to criminals targeting women.

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The Tribune – Moga bypoll; At Moga, Amarinder forced to toil hard; SAD president Sukhbir Badal also clocks 18 hours a day, addressing at least 20 functions

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Moga, February 20. The Moga byelection will be remembered for the start of a new political experiment in Punjab.

The election was thrust upon the people by the SAD by inducting Congress legislator Joginder Pal Jain into the party.

If the purpose was to further demoralise the Congress, it has not worked. In fact, the election has helped the state Congress galvanise itself and even boosted the image of its president Captain Amarinder Singh who has transformed himself into a hard worker and washed off accusations of being an easygoing campaigner.

On the other hand, for SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who is known to be an aggressive campaigner adept at micro management, the election is an opportunity to prove that he can single-handedly dictate the politics of the state.

Sukhbir hopes a victory here will build the tempo for the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

But political gambits are a risky affair. Captain Amarinder has now chosen to take the challenge head-on. The Congress had won this seat by 4,500 votes only a year ago and it feels this is the right opportunity to stop the Akali juggernaut.

Party election incharge Rana Gurjit Singh said: “We will win because for the first time Captain Amarinder is working hard. I don’t want to say this but this is the truth”.

Rana Gurmeet Sodhi said the byelection would be remembered for the manner in which Amarinder put his best foot forward to win back the voters’ confidence. Seeing the people’s reaction to the party’s campaign, general secretary incharge of Punjab Gulchain Singh Charakh admitted Amarinder remains the best bet to lead the Congress in the state.

Talwandi Sabo legislator Jeet Mohinder Sidhu, who drives Amarinder during the campaigning, echoed similar sentiments. He said after moving to the constituency on February 2, the PCC chief went out only for a day on February 9 to attend the wedding function of Amritsar leader Sukhjinder Randhawa’s daughter at Chandigarh. “Captain has been camping here since then. He even missed the wedding of his niece in Delhi,” he said.

Amarinder’s electioneering starts at 10.30 am with a break for lunch at a supporter’s house. Sidhu said Amarinder managed five rural and two urban meetings in a day which ended at around 8 pm. “After that we sit down and strategise”, he added.

On asking when he last worked so hard, Captain Amarinder said: “My job is to move around. I did so during the last assembly elections also. But the Akalis bought off our rebel leaders”. Amarinder feels his party is well beyond the winning stage. “As of today we have won,” he claimed.

In case of Sukhbir, the Moga election seems to be an experiment on how Congress strongholds can be broken. There is a feeling in the Sukhbir camp that Congress men who cannot be beaten should be co-opted into the SAD. The Moga byelection will decide whether this experiment can be replicated elsewhere or not.

Sukhbir is putting in even more time than Amarinder. The SAD president starts his day at 8 with a strategy session at the residence of senior Akali leader Tota Singh. At 11, Sukhbir is out in the field devoting most of the day in rural areas before converging into the city in the evening. After finishing electioneering at 10 pm, he takes feedback from party leaders coordinating different zones. “This meeting ends only by 2 am”, an aide disclosed.

The SAD chief claimed Amarinder’s schedule was no match for his. “I do 20 programmes in a day. He does four,” he said. He also claimed the Congress was still a divided house. Sukhbir said the main agenda of the SAD remained development.

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The Tribune – Moga bypoll; Lack of canal water major issue for farmers

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Moga, February 18. For farmers of Droli Bhai and Ghal Kalan villages, which are among the biggest in this constituency, the lack of canal water is the biggest issue.

Worst sufferers are the farmers whose land is situated at the tail-end of canals.

Seventy-year-old Sukhdev Singh’s farm house is located 50 m from the Kingwa distributary in Droli Bhai village. His seven-acre farm is situated alongside the water body. But this is not helping him in any way. Sometimes water does not even come up to the level of the outlet leading to his fields.

“It is a curse to have land at the tail-end of the canal system,” Sukhdev said, adding water courses were silted, choked with hyacinths and even broken at several places.

Farmers have to spend huge amounts to arrange alternative sources of water for irrigation. Most part of the constituency is in the “dark zone” where water table is alarmingly low. “We have to keep shifting our submersible motors deeper every year,” said Gulzar Singh of Ghal Kalan village, who has now installed his motor 140 ft below the ground which was at 70 ft 10 years ago.

Hamir Singh, another farmer, said power was available only during odd hours, which did not suit him as he grew potatoes and vegetables. “This season, I had to irrigate my potato crop with the help of a generator,” he said, adding: “Our land is very fertile. We have had bumper crops. But lack of canal water and depleting water table are indicating a bleak future ahead”.

Farmers of villages like Soslian, Bagelawala, Jhandiana and Daulatpura, too, have similar issues.

Meanwhile, the SAD has stepped in to take political advantage on this issue. Party president Sukhbir Badal has promised “as many crores as farmers of the constituency need to solve this problem”.

Sukhbir has roped in Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, who has earned the sobriquet of “Irrigation Doctor”, to campaign in most of the villages facing the shortage of water. “Vote for the SAD and see canal water flowing into your fields” is the party’s slogan.

Akali leader Nidharak Brar also urges voters to “weigh the benefits” of voting for the SAD. “This byelection has given us an opportunity to get all our demands accepted,” he says.

Though most farmers are angry at the neglect of their villages and feel their brethren in Muktsar and Gidderbaha are better off, they understand that the byelection has given them a chance to get their problem fixed. Many of them realise that the SAD-BJP government has four more years to go. “For many of us, it is now or never,” Paramjit Singh of Ghal Kalan said, adding he would support the SAD for this reason.

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The Tribune – Moga By-Election

Captain: Bypoll result will silence ‘arrogant’ Sukhbir, Majithia

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 11. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Captain Amarinder Singh today claimed that the Moga residents will give a befitting reply to the “arrogant” duo of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Majithia.

Addressing a public gathering at Charik village for Congress candidate Vijay Kumar Sathi, Amarinder said the Moga people will change the political scenario in Punjab by voting against the “anti-people” and “repressive” policies of the SAD-BJP government. The byelection is scheduled for February 23.

“Sukhbir and Majithia have spoiled the socio-economic balance of the otherwise prosperous Punjab for their personal interests,” he said.

Once defeated in the bypoll, the state Congress chief said, the downfall of the Akalis would automatically begin. “The greater impact will be witnessed in the next parliamentary elections when the SAD will be routed completely….

Byelections have usually been trendsetters. In Moga, the Congress will re-script the Adampur bypoll victory of 1998,” he said.

Amarinder also warned that the Akalis should not take it for granted that they would remain in power for the rest of their tenure. “Given the track record of the Akalis of poor governance and deteriorating law and order situation in the last six years, their government can fall any time,” he said.

Claiming that he had gauged the mood of the electorate during his stay in Moga for the past over a week, he said it was because of the “poor” state of affairs that the people were fed up with the government.

The PPCC president said the recent incidents of crime involving Akali leaders and workers had angered the state people and they wanted to teach the government a lesson.

Banking on his father Sathi Roop Lal’s legacy, Vijay Sathi said he had a “clean image and, therefore, was most suitable to be elected”.

Amarinder and Sathi also addressed gatherings at Malliana, Patti Sandhuan, Tarewala, Chupkiti and a few locations in Moga city.

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Several Congress leaders in line to join SAD: Sukhbir

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 11. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today claimed that more Congress leaders wanted to join the ruling party but “we will pick only diamonds from among the stones.”

Campaigning for party candidate Joginder Pal Jain at Sadda Singh Wala, Kahan Singh Wala, Thamanwala and Jhandewala villages, Badal claimed that the Congress was on the verge of extinction, not only in Punjab but on other parts of the country too.

He said the SAD would welcome only those leaders who believed in the SAD vision. The fact that more and more Congress leaders were joining the SAd was an indication of the confidence that the people have in the SAD-BJP alliance.

Criticising the Congress for its negative campaign, he said the Congress leadership was taking up non-issues as there were no real issues against the SAD-BJP government. He claimed that the SAD-BJP victories were nothing but the triumph of the pro-people policies of the the Parkash Singh Badal-led government.

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Candidate Profile; PPP’s Ravinder Dhaliwal eyes youth vote bank

Kulwinder Sandhu, Tribune News Service

Moga, February 11. Contesting from Moga for the second time on the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) ticket, 44-year-old Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal is hopeful that he would be able to pocket the youth votes.

In last year’s assembly election, Dhaliwal had secured more than 9,800 votes. A graduate in veterinary science and a post-graduate in business management, his vote share was more than 7 per cent in 2012.

Prior to joining politics, Dhaliwal used to work as a manager in corporate communications with a multi-national food processing company. Currently, he is into real estate business.

PPP chief Manpreet Badal claims that Dhaliwal was influenced by the party’s ideology and, therefore, left his fat-salary job and jumped into the election fray.

Dhaliwal, along with Manpreet, has adopted the traditional style of campaigning in Moga city by going door to door. In villages, the duo also holds ‘nukkar sabhas’.

Claiming that he is getting “favourable” response from the electorate, the PPP nominee says the people are fed up with both the mainstream parties (the SAD and the Congress).

“The Moga voters, particularly the educated youth, are disappointed with turncoat Joginder Pal Jain who first represented the Congress and now is seeking re-election on the SAD ticket. As such, people are not interested in both the parties with which Jain is associated. They will vote for change,” he says.

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The Tribune – Sukhbir accepts Hooda’s offer of talks on water disputes

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 9. The Punjab Government has welcomed the initiative by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for exploring a political solution to the water disputes pending for decades between the two states.

Sukhbir said, “I welcome the initiative of the Haryana Government. We are ready to sit together and solve the issues pertaining to water disputes. However, he did not divulge any details.”

Hooda had expressed his desire to solve the water issues with Punjab at a function held in Gurgaon yesterday.

Disputes relating to the Hansi-Butana canal, Dashmesh canal, Sutlej-Yamuna link canal and channelisation of the Ghaggar have been pending between the two states for the past several decades.

The Congress government in Punjab headed by the then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had, in 2004, annulled all water agreements between the two states by bringing in the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004.

It also resulted in termination of agreements related to the Ravi-Beas waters, which was signed by the chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in 1981. Haryana has long been maintaining that due to this, the state was not getting its share of 3.5 MAF of water due to non-completion of construction work on Sutlej-Yamuna link canal.

There is another dispute between the two states on the construction of Hansi-Butana canal by the Haryana Government. The apex court has stayed the linking of this canal with the Bhakra Management Line (BML) on a case filed by the Punjab Government.

Punjab went to the apex court because Haryana had gone to the Central Water Commission against the proposed Dashmesh canal, which was also to be linked with the BML and was meant to irrigate thousands of acres of land in Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts.

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The Tribune – Mudslinging at Jor Mela despite jathedar’s advice; Stadium to be named after Sahibzadas

Sanjeev Singh Bariana, Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26. Not paying any heed to the Akal Takht Jathedar’s advice to political parties to maintain religious sanctity at the Shaheedi Jor Mela, SAD leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, indulged in mudslinging and Congress-bashing while addressing a gathering here today.

Interestingly, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar also spoke on the same podium, although he did not make any political comments.

Addressing a press conference, Sukhbir said with Congress MLA from Moga Joginder Pal Jain joining the SAD, a hiatus had started in the Congress and “you will see regular desertions from their camp”.

Making an indirect reference to the recent incident in the Vidhan Sabha following which Congressman Rana Gurjit Singh was suspended, Majithia said: “Our gurus have taught us that it is not right to bear cruelty at anyone’s hands. I have never reacted to allegations against me. Some even call me a ‘goonda’ or a murderer. But I cannot tolerate anyone dragging my mother’s name”.

Mahesh Inder Grewal, adviser to the Chief Minister, said: “Religion and politics are the very essence of Sikhism. It will not be correct to address our community during a religious occasion and not mentioning the wrongs in our society”.

SAD general secretary Balwant Singh Ramoowalia also took a satirical dig at the Congress and its national leaders.

Others present on the occasion included Bibi Jagir Kaur, Speaker Charanjit Atwal, Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Bhunder and Jathedar Tota Singh.

Sukhbir said Fatehgarh Sahib would have a stadium in the name of Baba Zora Singh and Baba Fateh Singh by next year.

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The Tribune – Adopt new technology for agri growth: Sukhbir; Four-day Agro Tech fair concludes; Registers 75,000 visitors

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4. Farmers need to understand new technologies and processes in order to propel agriculture growth in the state. Punjab with just 1.5 per cent of the total agricultural area in the country had been contributing more than 55 per cent to the nation’s food kitty.

In the process of making India self-sufficient, Punjab has been losing out on soil nutrients and groundwater. This was stated today by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on the concluding day of the Agro Tech 2012, organised by the CII, here.

“We must thank the CII for bringing all the stakeholders — companies, farmers and the government — on one platform,” he said.

Giving a call for diversification in agriculture sector, Sukhbir said the farmers would have to come out of the vicious cycle of wheat and paddy and focus on low water-consuming cash crops. He said the Punjab Government was seeking investments from entrepreneurs in the area of diversification of agriculture sector, food processing and conservation of water.

Sukhbir said farmers would have to turn smart marketers to be able to adjust their product portfolio according to the fast-changing demand and supply equation in the international food market.

He said opening up of the Wagah border and giving it the status of a dry port by allowing export of 6,000 goods could be a game changer for the entire north India.

While addressing the gathering, Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa called upon entrepreneurs to come out with technology for small and marginal farmers, which would help increase farm yield.

During the four-day fair, 75,000 visitors, including 35,000 farmers from various states, showed up.

The Agro Tech also saw farmers’ delegations from Afghanistan, Australia, Nepal and The Netherlands.

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The Tribune – Sarna brothers, Dikshit trying to scuttle DSGMC poll: Sukhbir Badal

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, November 19. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said today that the state government would soon announce a special industrial package for the kandi region.

Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating a Rs 5.5 crore 66 KVA substation at Maula Wahid, he lashed out at the Congress for “colluding” with the Sarna group to deny an opportunity to the Sikhs of New Delhi to exercise franchise in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections.

At Padhiana, welcoming the former Punjab Pradesh Congress secretary, Captain R S Pathania, into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) fold, he said the SAD-BJP government was committed to development.

Promising to change the economic profile of the kandi belt, he said the government planned an industrial cluster in the area for which a land bank was being created. The industrial cluster would be connected with the rest of Punjab by an expressway.

Sukhbir claimed that the amendment in the Delhi Gurdwara Act proposed by the Sheila Dikshit government was against the spirit of the Constitution as delaying elections beyond the five-year term was undemocratic.

Accusing the Sarna brothers and the Delhi Chief Minister of running away from the gurdwara elections, he said the Sarnas, fearing a humiliating defeat in the DGMC poll, were making every effort to scuttle the elections. He alleged that Sheila Dikshit apprehended that if the Sarnas faced a drubbing, it would have an adverse impact on the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections.

Rs 12 lakh for gaushala

Nawanshahr: The Deputy Chief Minister presided over a function organised by the National Gau Sewa Mission here on Monday. He announced a grant of Rs 12 lakh for the Chandpur Rurki gaushala, the setting up of a veterinary dispensary at Chandpur Rurki and construction of the Dallewal-Chandpur Rurki link road.

“A Gaushala Board has been constituted. Suggestions from managements of gaushalas and Swami Krishnand, president of the National Gau Sewa Mission, will be sought for formulating a policy on protecting the cow,” he said.

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The Tribune – Sukhbir proposes joint industrial zones

Tribune News Service

Attari, November 9. Terming his five-day visit to Pakistan as “historic and successful”, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the governments of both Punjabs had shown keen interest in setting up of joint industrial zones, which would be treated at par with the local industry.

Speaking to mediapersons in Attari after crossing over to India, Sukhbir said he had played his part by initiating the process of strengthening trade and commerce ties between the two countries.

“During our five-day visit to Pakistan, we worked out several proposals. The list will be sent to the Union Government for final approval,” he said.

Sukhbir said Pakistan Punjab’s Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, too, had agreed on the proposal for setting up joint industrial zones.

“Entrepreneurs of both Punjabs will be free to set up their industrial units in such areas, which will be treated at par with the local industry. The products manufactured in these zones will be duty-free,” he said.

Both Punjabs, he said, had also agreed upon to constitute a 20-member (10 from each side) joint coordination committee to discuss various issues, including increasing the trade ties and exchange of ideas in various fields. The committee would meet at least once every two months. Among the 10 members would be three ministers, three secretaries and four businessmen.

“The onus is now on the Union Government to give a concrete shape to the proposals and carry forward the dialogue,” he said.

Sukhbir said he had also raised the issue of setting up of a visa consulate in Lahore and Amritsar and opening Hussainiwala and Suleman Ki (Fazilka) borders for trade. He said he had also urged Sharif to strengthen infrastructure on its side of the Integrated Check Post at Attari.

The governments of both Punjabs have also agreed to initiate ‘Punjab Cup’, a bi-annual sports tournament comprising cricket, hockey, wrestling and tug-of-war, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said Sharif had also accepted his invitation to grace as chief guest the Kabbadi World Cup final slated to be held in Ludhiana on December 15.

He said he had also requested Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal Mohammad to organise cricket, and if possible kabaddi too, matches between the legislators of both Punjabs.

Sukhbir said he had requested Sharif to rename a chowk in Lahore after martyr Bhagat Singh and release Indian prisoners, including Sarbjit Singh.

What Punjabs discussed

Constituting a 20-member (10 from each side) committee to discuss various issues

The committee will meet at least once every two months

Among the 10 members will be three ministers, three secretaries and four businessmen

Setting up of a visa consulate in Lahore and Amritsar

Opening of Hussainiwala and Fazilka borders for trade

Strengthening infrastructure on both sides of the Integrated Check Post

Initiating ‘Punjab Cup’, a bi-annual sports tournament comprising cricket, hockey, wrestling and tug-of-war

Organising cricket, and if possible kabaddi too, matches between the legislators of both Punjabs

Buffalo given as gift

Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif gifted a Neeli Ravi buffalo to Sukhbir Badal and also accepted the tractor gifted by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister to him. A two-hour long cultural bonanza was organised in his honour.

Striking emotional chord

More than 4,000 prominent citizens from different walks of life, including over 2,900 sportspersons, gave a standing ovation to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal when he said “Hun vapas jaan nu dil nahin karda” (don’t feel like returning now) at a function on Thursday. He said he was “emotionally touched by the unprecedented love, affection and care showered upon the delegation members by the Pakistan Punjab government and the residents. “I am indebted,” he said.

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