Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday warned inimical forces against any attempt to destroy the peace and harmony of the country, while calling upon the people to join hands in fighting such forces.
Capt Amarinder, addressing a gathering in Jalandhar after unfurling the national flag at a state-level function to mark the 73rd Independence Day, said that there were anti-national forces that were envious of the peaceful atmosphere and development in the State.
“Let us rededicate ourselves to work collectively to build a strong and prosperous Punjab and to cement the bonds of love, peace and amity,” he said.
Highlighting the immense contribution of Punjabis in the national freedom struggle, the Chief Minister said that it was now our collective duty to preserve the hard earned freedom attained through countless sacrifices.
Referring to the crusade against the drug abuse, Capt Amarinder said so far, 27,744 cases had been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act with the arrest of 33,622 people besides recovery of 767 kg of heroine and huge quantities of other contraband substances.
The Chief Minister said that the new industrial policy had given a big boost with over Rs 50,000 crore in investments being firmed up.
To give a further push to rural development, the Chief Minister pointed out that an outlay of Rs 680 crore had been kept under the Smart Village Campaign — a programme to ensure development of villages, of which Rs 198 crore had been released as the first instalment.
He said that the State Government was contemplating to disburse Rs 520 crore to 2.85 lakh farm labourers and landless farmers who are members of primary agriculture cooperative societies. Under the debt relief scheme till date, 5.62 lakh marginal and small farmers have benefited.
The Chief Minister also stated that the total annual remuneration of farmers on account of government procurement of foodgrain had increased to Rs 1.24 lakh crore since 2017, thereby registering a hike of about Rs 30,000 crore over the earnings in the corresponding seasons of the previous government.
On the education front, the Chief Minister said that for the first time in several years, the government schools had outperformed private schools.
21 EMINENT PERSONALITIES HONOURED WITH STATE AWARD
As many 21 eminent personalities were conferred the state awards for their outstanding contribution in various fields besides bestowing Chief Minister’s Police Medal on nine police officers or officials in recognition to their distinguished services.
The awardees included social activists, artistes, litterateurs, poets, progressive farmers, environmentalists and government officials besides a cancer specialist, who have made outstanding contribution in their respective fields in the larger public interests.
Among the awardees are Dr Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal of Moga district’s Duneke village, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Bishan Dass from Patiala, ‘Munde Ahmedgarh De Welfare Club’ president Rakesh Kumar Garg, Amandeep Singh from Kanpur village in Pathankot, Computer expert from Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjabi writer Gurmeet Singh Singhal, Dr Devinder Singh Sandhu, a cancer super specialist from Ludhiana, Baba Sewa Singh Ji of Khadoor Sahib, Veterinary Inspector Amandeep Singh from Patiala, among others.
The nine police officers or officials awarded the prestigious Chief Minister’s Police Medal in recognition to their excellent services, including Joint Director Vigilance Bureau Mohali Parmjit Singh Goraya, SSP Vigilance Bureau Jalandhar Range Diljinder Singh Dhillon, Assistant Inspector General Police, Election Cell Harbir Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Investigation, Patiala Harmit Singh Hundal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Election Cell Amroz Singh, DSP, Punjab Police Academy Phillaur Sewak Singh, SHO Police Station Dakha Inspector Jagdish Kumar, SHO Police Station Mullanpur, Mohali Inspector Bhagwant Singh and Inspector Karnail Singh posted in Jalandhar Rural.