President postpone Amritsar Visit following Harsimrat's hospitalization

Chandigarh November 7, 2009

At the request of Member of Parliament from Bathinda Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal following her illness and hospitalization, the President of India Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil had postoned her proposed visit to Amritsar on November 9, 2009.
The visit was scheduled at the request of Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal to promote the environmental cause and the movement against female foeticide. Fresh dates of the President's visit would be announced after the recovery of Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

BADAL SEEKS ADDITIONAL POWER FROM CENTER FOR RABI SEASON

Chandigarh November 7, 2009

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Union Power Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde to advice the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Power to ensure allocation at-least 250MW of additional power to Punjab from unallocated pool of Central Power Plants for agriculture operation and Rabi season and to the areas alongwith International borders, in a view of inability of PSEB to meet the additional demand of power in agriculture sector.

In a letter to Mr. Shinde, the Chief Minister informed that Punjab farmers are now preparing for sowing of wheat but they are not getting adequate water so far because neither we are able to ensure requisite 8 hour power supply nor is there sufficient water in Bhakhra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs. It has been estimated that to ensure 8 hour uninterrupted power for Wheat sowing, we need additional power of 500 MWs. The State Power Department has already made a request in this regard to the Ministry of Power, Government of India. The Chief Minister impressed upon Mr. Shinde to accede to this request and also brought to his notice that Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) is supplying 380 MWs of power for border fencing lighting, defence requirements and agriculture pump sets, which are located within 16 kms area of the International border with Pakistan. He pointed out PSEB was unable to maintain this supply if they did not receive any additional allocation of power. Mr. Badal also mentioned that further, we are also apprehending decline in hydro generation during Wheat sowing season because of reduced availability of water in the reservoirs. There was a shortfall of about 20 and 50 percent in BBMB and RSD generation units, respectively.

it may be recalled that Punjab was allocated 303 MWs of power from unallocated pool of Central Sector Plants to meet electricity requirement of farmers during the paddy season from June to September 2009. In addition 136 MWs of power was also allocated to overcome electricity shortage as a result of drought during last summer. This allocation helped the state to ensure a bumper paddy crop, despite scanty rainfall.

BADAL TO JOIN ARDAS DIVAS AT GURDWARA SAHIB GREATER KAILASH-II NEW DELHI

SUKHBIR TO JOIN PRAYER AT GURDWARA SRI DUKH NIVARAN SAHIB PATIALA

Chandigarh November 7

Patron of Shiromani Akali Dal and Punjab Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal would join the 'Ardas Divas' at Gurdwara Sahib Greater Kailash-II in New Delhi tomorrow being organized in the memory of the victims of Anti-Sikh Massacre of November 1984.

Likewise, the SAD President and Deputy Chief Minister Punjab S. Sukhbir Singh Badal will join Ardas at Gurdwara Sri Dukh Nivaran Sahib in Patiala by 8:30 AM.

Disclosing this here today Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharn Bains said that the Chief Minister would reach the Gurdwara Sahib Greater Kailash-II in New Delhi at 8:00AM and would remain there till the conclusion of function, which would feature recitation from the holy Gurbani, Divine Shabad Kirtan and the Ardas. Mr. Bains further said that the call for observing 'Ardas Divas' was given jointly by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Prayers would be held all across the World not only in Sikh Gurdwaras but also in the main holy shrines of the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians and the other religions of the World

Both S. Parkash Singh Badal and S. sukhbir Singh Badal have appealed the Sangat to tern out in large numbers in every village and city across World. Ardas would be offered for peace to the departed souls of the hapless victims of 1984 carnage and justice to the bereaved families as well as severest and early punishment to the guilty, added Mr. Bains.