Bio-ethanol plant in Bhatinda, a boon for Punjab farmers

The Punjab farmers will get additional income soon as the construction work of Bio-ethanol plant started at Tarakhanavalla village, Bhatinda. Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of the Rs 600 crore plant.

The bio-ethanol plant will not only check pollution from North India but it will also help farmers in increasing their income as the plant would run on stubble to be purchased from them by the plant managements.

It will be boon for Punjab farmers as they will be able to sell their paddy stubble. Earlier, they were forced to burn the stubble in their fields. The stubble burning is dangerous for environment and pollutes the air.

The waste stubble of farmers will produce extra income for them. The Bio-ethanol plant will convert the paddy stubble into ethanol. The produce of ethanol will increase the trade in the market. Moreover, the farmers will earn Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 per acre if they sell their paddy stubble to plant management.

According to the official information, the plant will consume around 400 tonnes of straw regularly to produce around 100 kilolitres of ethanol. The regular produce of the ethanol will help 30 per cent of ethanol requirement of the state.

Moreover, the Bio-ethanol project will also enhance the employment opportunities in the area. More than 1200 people will be recruited in the plant.

The Punjab government will also set up such plants in every district. It will not only reduce the pollution of straw burning but it will also help in generating employment. It’s a great task of the ruling Punjab government and centre towards the betterment of farmers.

 

SAD clears its stand against SYL, launches signature campaign

The Shiromani Akali Dal has cleared its stand over SYL issue and launched signature campaign against SYL. As per the information, the party appealing the Punjab farmers to sign the campaign and it is expected that around 25 lakh farmers will sign the document.

Parkash Singh Badal seeking the intervention of President Pranab Mukherjee on river waters issue. The “appeal” especially refers to the injustice done to the state under Section 78 of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966.

All the 25 lakh forms are to be signed by till December 8 on the birthday of Punjab CM. A rally has scheduled on the same day at Moga. The signed forms will be handed over to the President of the country.

The core committee of SAD committee decided to take all the preventive steps to save the water of Punjab. The state would not share even a single drop as Punjab has insufficient water.  The Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal f signed the first specially printed form to launch the campaign at his official residence in Chandigarh.

The Punjab Cabinet ministers led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also met President Pranab Mukherjee, urging him not to accept the opinion of the Supreme Court on the SYL canal.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was the first party to oppose the construction of SYL. The party has put its hard efforts against the construction of SYL. The Chief Minister had come out with the resolution in the last budget session against SYL.

Since the approval of the SYL, the SAD opposed the then Congress government to not construct SYL. Even the party has always stood up with the Punjab farmers against SYL. When Punjab has not much water then there is no question of sharing the water with other states. Where the Punjab farmers will go for water if SYL is constructed?

 

CM Parkash Singh Badal Inaugurates Heritage Street At The “Guru Ki Nagri”

Giving a face lift to “Guru Ki Nagri”, Amritsar chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal as part of his dream project, revamps the once congested stretch of 8oo meter walkway from amritsar’s town hall to golden temple as a new “heritage” façade.

Making the city a magnet for tourism all across the globe, the Punjab CM expressed his devotion and loyalty with his new inception of Heritage Street.

A unique contribution is the name “seva”to the almighty guru’s, the façade of nearly 150 buildings on this road have been recreated in a uniform architectural theme which imparts the area a grand look akin to the 400 year old city of Amritsar.

The structures that have been raised along the route include replica of  Parliament House along with the statue of Baba Sahib Ambedkar, a unique rock sculpture in front of Jallianwala Bagh lit with an eternal flame and  statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Punjab are but a few to name. . A visual delight, the beauty is further enhanced in the night when the sparkling lights get amplified with twinkling stars in the sky.

Speaking on the occasion of its inauguration, Sukhbir said: “I thank the almighty for blessing me with the good fortune to do this sewa.” He even sought an apology for any shortcoming in the project.

“The heritage street project was completed in a record time. This is not the end of the project. It is just a beginning of the total beautification and transformation which the holy city would witness during the course of next five years.”

Many senior leadership of Sikh community came forward with showering high praises for the competition of the project

Akal Takht Jathedar Gaini Gurbachan Singh said, “God has blessed the Badal family. I observed that every Sikh here was praising this project and was saying thanks to Badals.”

Damdami Taksal head, Harnam Singh Dhuma  said, “Dera Khalsa ji, the time has come. The whole Sikh community should be united and support Shiromani Akali Dal. We have to take more such services from them. We should not be become thankless. We should show regard for their efforts to build several memorials to remember our martyrs and gurus. Let us all come together by forgetting our differences and defeat those powers who have been dreaming to rule Punjab by hurting Sikh sentiments and designing conspiracies”.

Punjab government works towards uplifting Rural Punjab

Punjab government has started the process of the overall development of villages with the maximum SC population. SC population of Punjab is 39% of the total population which is the highest in the country.

The development is happening under Prime Minister’s Adarsh Gram Yojana scheme which is for the development of rural areas. The spokesperson of the Punjab Rural Development Panchayats Department said that under this  scheme 34 to 50 percent population have been identified according to 2011 census and for the same Rs 3.80 Cr has been reserved.

Punjab government is keen on brining modern facilities to the village. In the first phase modern facilities like cemented roads, solar lights, dharamshalas, clean drinking water and sewerage facility etc will be provided with prioritizing villages with maximum SC pollution. This is a big step towards uplifting rural Punjab.

According to survey done by the Department, 1447 villages have 54 to 39 percent SC population, 1112 villages with 40 to 44 percent and 894 villages with 45 to 50 percent of SC population has been identified, which will come under this project.

Punjab Government Developing Adarsh Villages In The State

Punjab’s major portion consists of villages and these require a lot of development in terms of infrastructure, education, governance and more. The Punjab government has decided to uplift these villages and make them more advanced and a better place for the community where they can get all the facilities like clean safe water, park and playground for children, better schools and employment opportunities.

The government has been developing a huge plan with great aspirations for the state and the overall development of the rural areas which will lead to Adarsh Villages across Punjab.  District officers hae been informed about these Adarsh Villages and instructions have been given to start implementing this plan as earlier as possible in the best way.

To keep check the development on this plan, the government has also decided to create planning units at the Gram Panchayat Level. Under this plan Gram Panchayat would be the one that would formulate the development of the planning units with a numner of members which will include Sarpanch of the village, Panchayat Secretary, Gram Employment assistant, engineers, school teachers, workers and more. One the planning unit is created, the main focus would be on the transparency of the plans and the grants given to people.

Punjab government has been working hard to uplift the rural part of the society as well as the financial status of scheduled caste so that everyone has an equal opportunity for their development.

Best in class connectivity in Punjab

Due to the rapid increment in the development, population and globalization like factors, number of vehicles or we can say vehicle population is increasing day by day. With this comes the need of better transportation mediums and connectivity such as roads, connecting highways, and air connectivity etc. Taking into consideration these important factors, Punjab Government has launched various schemes for the betterment of roads, highways, and air connectivity.

There are two main cities of Punjab, i.e. Chandigarh and Ludhiana, where people regularly travel to and fro. So, Punjab government has consistently made all the efforts required to increase the connectivity between these two cities. The better example of this would be the approval to a highway construction project worth Rs. 2,070/- Crores between Kharar and Ludhiana. The plan includes a 6/4 lane highway b/w these cities so that the travelling time can get reduced. It would be around 76 kilometers long highway which is currently a 2 lane road. As per the authorities, it would take around two and half years for the completion of this project as 145 hectares out of 383.2 hectares of land is yet to be acquired.

If we talk about railways, then the plan is to extend the travelling from Ferozepur & Jammu to Katra because high number of people travels on this route till Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. As per the promise of the Union Minister of State for Railways, a new train to Haridwar will be started soon. Already a train from Punjab to Haridwar is currently running, but only during special holiday/festive season. So, authorities have decided to include this train in regular schedule for the people who travel to this pilgrimage regularly. In addition to this, as a lot of business transaction are carried out between Punjab and U.P the mentioned train to Haridwar from Ferozepur will also benefit in generating the revenue. Also, it will act as a convenient mode of transportation for goods as well.

Women of Punjab getting fitter

Being fit is important for everybody, be it a man or a woman, an old age lady or a young girl or boy. It is a sight of delight to see how girls and ladies in Bathinda are now coming forward and signing up at their nearby gyms in the city to stay fit and healthy. Be it for the matter of physical beauty or curing some inner disease, being fit is the way of life.

Women in Punjab earlier used to believe that the household chores that they indulge in will help them in staying fit, but those day are now long gone and they are hitting the gyms in large numbers. Getting in shape helps you feel good and instills confidence in yourself. The ladies of Bathinda are these days making it a point to exercise regularly and include a healthy diet in their daily routine. Ladies of Punjab have always been known to be stout built with a healthy look but now the times are changing and not only the new-age girls, but the ladies in their 30s and 40s are going towards toned bodies and fitter looks.

It is a common sight to see ladies sweating out at any gym in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Chennai, but it was never a common sight in any city of Punjab. This trend has started coming over the city since last couple of years and it is the diseases that come along with obesity, which has forced the ladies to go towards a healthier lifestyle. They no more shy away from going out to the gym in their tracks and workout to their heart’s content.

Earlier the gyms in various cities of Punjab used to have separate timings for the females, which were during the middle of the day or early in the evening as in those days women didn’t feel comfortable working out in presence of men. But with the change in lifestyle of the society, women nowadays want to come to the gym at any time of the day as some are working, and have their own timing constraints.

Along with losing weight and getting a healthier body, women also love making friends while working out. Having a friend circle of their own at the gym, they get motivated to come regularly and meet their group of friends. Various women come and get them registered in groups, as then the workout becomes more fun and motivating.

Punjab gets an international approach

A Sikh Heritage Trail app, developed by Ishvinder Singh, a 29-year-old project engineer in an aerospace company was launched on June 11 that explores the Sikh’s history in Singapore. Ishvinder Singh and his team of Chris Cai, 29, and Melody Ho, 24, as well as head researcher Vithya Subramaniam, 27, spent about three years putting together the app.

Aiming to cover a trail of Sikhs imprisoned in 1850 in Singapore, then a penal colony of the British Empire, this SGD 20,000-app, is available both on Android Google play store and the Apple app store.

The trail also includes the cover of the late Maharaj Singh who fought against British Raj with bravery and planned revolts with his followers. The Sikh martyr was jailed in 1850 at the now-defunct Outram Prison. He died in 1856. His unmarked tomb in the forested grounds, where the Singapore General Hospital is today, was relocated to the Silat Road Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) in 1966.Among other trails, the app has the Sepoy Lines, which is the area around Outram Road and Cantonment Road where the sepoys, or Indian soldiers in the British Raj, built their barracks.

Another international connection that Punjab is developing is with the film industry of the state. Going to an international level, the first-ever Virasat International Punjabi Film Festival is being organized in Melbourne, Australia, from August 11 to 13 by SanjhiAwaaz Radio and Hundal Films, and will see the participation of various Punjabi filmmakers.

Apart from political personalities from India and Australia including Tony Abbott, former Austrian Prime Minister, many film and business personalities from Punjab and Australia like BinnuDhillon and Harish Verma, would be participating in the festival.

An award night will be organized on August 13 along with a business forum between Indian and Australian business delegates and politicians, after the screening of the films.The festival that would be known as VIPFFA from now on, would promote talent from Punjab and Punjabi Diaspora in Australia, which is an attempt to open a treasure chest of our language for the younger generation.Highlighting the issue of female feticide, the films to be screened at the festival include feature films, short films and documentaries that focus to embrace the artistic aspect of Punjabi language and culture.

Punjab needs to connect directly to USA

A state develops manifold, once they start having direct international flights. This is so because with the flights start direct trade between the two countries, also tourism definitely is one of the major factors, which brings in development. Along with the question of development, it is easy for people to go on vacations and business purposes to that particular state or country.

As mentioned above, all of this can start in Amritsar, once the direct flight between Amritsar and London is launched. As there is a lot of percentage of people from Punjab staying in London, it is important for the whole state to have some connectivity with this major destination. Air India has recently started a direct flight from Gujarat to London, which would also be covering New Jersey.

NGO Amritsar Vikas Manch has recently kept in their request to start a direct flight from the holy city to London and USA. There is a huge percentage of students of Punjab and a lot of population residing in UK, USA and Canada, therefore it is the need of the hour to gift the state a direct flight to such destinations. Firstly, this will bring the families closer and even give an opportunity to the students of both the destinations to experience different cultures. A large population of the state used to travel on the Amritsar-Birmingham and Amritsar-London-Toronto flights but unfortunately these have been discontinued. The NGO demands the Air India team to restore these two very important routes for the citizens of the state.

Amritsar is known to be one of the major tourist attractions for people internationally, who are keen on visiting India, to experience its culture, food and people. Start of such a connection of Amritsar will bring in another boost to the tourism sector. Along with this, it will also be a great opportunity for the airports and cities around Amritsar to grow along with the same.

It is great to see that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given such a great gift to the Gujarati community in US, UK and Canada. But now the people of Punjab are looking for something to come their way, so that they can also get closer to their families living abroad.

Uplifting the Amritsar Railway Station

Most of the travellers still like travelling in trains, when it comes to domestic travel. Along with being a cheaper option, many find it more comfortable and a fun journey when travelling with friends and family. Also, the lower income group of the society travels by this medium in their day-to-day lives.

In past few years, the railways and railway stations have improved at a great extent in different parts of the country. A very positive step has been taken by the Rajya Sabha MP, Shwet Malik, who is one of the members in the Railway Department of the Parliamentary Committee. At the Amritsar Railway Station, he recently organized a meeting with the administration and suggested to make the station as beautiful as the International airport of the city. This is because, Amritsar being one of the top cities of the state when it comes to travel and tourism, so having a superior class railway station is very important.

A development plan has already been devised for the railway station, which is estimated to be costing around Rs. 13 crores. This plan includes a number of improvements and revamping processes to be done at the station. Starting with it proposes to improve the parking lots by creating a four-lane parking area, with different points of entry for the two-wheelers, four-wheelers, VIP cars and three-wheelers.

A modern ticket-booking booth is required at the Platform number one; therefore the old one will soon be replaced with a new modern model of the same. The parcel building at the station is also being advised to be replaced with dormitory and more than half a dozen retiring rooms for the travellers visiting the station. Malik also suggested the administration to include a disaster management plan in the whole scheme, and add on escalators on both the sides of the station. Another improvement, in addition to the physical structure of the station, which is required, includes the way the customers are treated by the workers at the facility. The MP has suggested instructing the officials at the inquiry and booking booths to deal with the customers politely and in a courteous manner, so that they feel welcomed and do not hesitate in asking for any help.

The up-gradation of the Chheharta Railway station will help a lot in de-clogging the Amritsar railway station as various commercial transportation can be carried out from there.