Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for full Central Government support to the State’s development programmes for the border areas, including a proposed special package for the region.
Accompanying the Central Minister on a visit to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur, where the two leaders paid floral tributes to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru at the National Martyrs Memorial, Capt Amarinder later discussed various issues concerning the development and progress of the border areas, to which Rajnath said the Centre was committed to extend all possible help to the people of these areas and resolve their issues on priority.
Pointing out that Punjab had a 553 km long sensitive international border comprising the districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka, the Chief Minister told Rajnath that his Government was considering a special package to create new social and industrial infrastructure, reserve jobs in Government and seats in selected educational institutions for the residents. The new industrial policy of Punjab also provided for special incentives to these areas, he added.
Seeking Central Government’s support in the region’s development, Captain Amarinder urged the Minister to provide a special one-time infrastructure development package for improving the State’s border areas. He also called for acquisition of land lying beyond the border fence by the Government of India, as the same could never be optimally used for agriculture due to security restrictions by the Border Security Force (BSF). Till these pieces lands are acquired, the farmers should be compensated for loss of their livelihood due to border fencing, he added.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates new viewers gallery in Ferozpepur Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inaugurated the newly constructed viewers gallery at the Indo-Pakistan Joint Check Post at Hussaniwala.
The new gallery will be able to accommodate over 5,000 visitors. Built at the cost of Rs 16.39 crore, the foundation stone of this gallery was laid down by then home minister, P Chibambaram, on October 22, 2010.
Everyday, a large number of people come to witness the retreat drill here where the BSF sentinels and Pakistani Rangers exchange hostile gestures.
The visitors gallery which was earlier in existence was not sufficient to cater to the needs of the swelling number of visitors.
Earlier, Rajnath and the Chief Minister paid floral tributes at the samadhi of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev. later, they drove to the JCP, where they addressed BSF jawans and visited the BSF museum where the original pistol belonging to Bhagat Singh — which was used in killings of British police officer John P Saunders — has been kept, they said.