EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES FLOUTING PUNJABI LANGUAGE ACT TO BE DEALT WITH SEVERLY-DR. UPINDERJIT KAUR COMMITTEE URGES IMPLEMENTATION OF NEIBOURING STATES & UT CHANDIGARH TO DECLARE PUNJABI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Chandigarh October 29:- The State Punjabi Language Empowered Committee today unanimously resolved to issue warning to erring educational institutes for violating the implementation of Punjabi Language Act. The committee also urged the neighbouring states and UT of Chandigarh to implement Punjabi as a second language in the offices and educational institutes.

Presiding over a maiden meeting, the Chairperson Dr. Upinderjit Kaur, Education & Languages Minister Punjab here today, said that the empowered committee took a serious view of privately managed convent schools and Kendriya Vidiayalas situated in Ferozepur, Ludhiana and Mansa for not implementing the Punjabi Language as a compulsory subject from 1st to class 10th under the Punjab Punjabi and other Languages Study Act, 2008. The Minister informed that it has been brought to her notice that all types of educational institutes in the remaining districts have been following the above mentioned act in its true spirit. The education department has been asked to issues strict warning to such institutions to implement Punjabi language till 30th November, 2009, she added.

The Minister said that the state empowered committee collectively passed a resolution urging the UT administration and states like Haryana, Himachal Pardesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand etc. to implement Punjabi as a second language to fulfill the aspirations of Punjabi community residing to these states. The committee also resolved to exempt Punjabi theater activities/plays from state entertainment to promote the Punjabi language, she added.

Dwelling on few other issues relating to promote Punjabi mother tongue, the committee has also decided to make optimum use of libraries of schools and collages after closing hours for the public. Required infrastructure and recruitment to strengthen these libraries would be taken up by the education department, she said.
The Languages Minister further said that the empowered committee has also resolved to issue conditional no objection certificates (NOCs) to new educational institutes to implement both the Punjabi Legislations in letter and spirit. A sub committee would also be constituted to monitor the Punjab State Advertising policy being implemented for the newspapers relating to equitable distribution of advertisements, she added.

Dr. Upinderjit Kaur further said that the Punjab Government had already implemented these two legislations to implement Punjabi mother tongue in all the offices of Punjab Govt., boards, corporations, subordinate courts and educational institutes in the Punjab State. The State Level and District Level Empowered Committees had already been constituted to ensure proper implementation of Punjabi language, she added.

The Minister said that to inspect the Government offices and educational institutes at the headquarter as well as in all the districts, it has been decided to empower these committees by constituting two sub-committees at the district as well state level in order to assist Empowered Committees. The district sub-committees to be headed by the concerned D.E.O and District Language Officer (D.L.O), comprising a journalist and a writer, would undertake inspection in educational institutes and Government offices respectively. These sub-committees would be supervised by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, who would submit a comprehensive the investigative report before the District Level Empowered Committee to assess the implementation of these acts, she added.

The Language Minister further added that two such sub-committees would also be constituted at the state level for Government offices and educational institutes situated at Chandigarh and Mohali to undertake similar inspections.
Among others S. Surinderpal Singh Sibia MLA, Mr KBS Sidhu, Principal Secretary Higher Education, Mr. G.S. Grewal Secretary School Education, Mr. G.K. Singh Additional Secretary Higher Education, Mr. R.L. Mehta Special Secretary School Education, Mrs Balbir Kaur, Director Languages Punjab, Mrs. Rekha Mittal Legal Remembrancer-cum-Secretary, Dr. Megha Singh Joint Director Public Relations, Mr. B.S. Mehndiratta former Legal Remembrancer, Eminent writer Bibi Mohinder Kaur Gill, Mr. Jagtar Singh Sidhu Punjabi Tribune, Mr. Devinder Singh Kohli Charhadikala were also present in the meeting.

CHAIRMAN OF C&C CONSTRUCTION G.S. JOHAR CALLS ON CM
assures of quality implantation of water drinking and sewerage projects in Punjab

Chandigarh OCTOBER 29:

Chairman of C&C construction limited Mr. G.S. Johar today called on Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and evinced keen interest in taking up infrastructure project in the state.

Taking part in the deliberations Mr. Johar assured the Chief Minister that his company would execute the projects of drinking water and sewerage in the urban and rural areas in a time bound manner besides assuring high construction quality.
Giving the details of the various drinking water supply and sewerage schemes in the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government would spent Rs. 55 crore and Rs. 21 crore for 100% drinking water supply, sewerage and setting up of a sewerage treatment plant in Ropar and Nangal respectively. Likewise, the works for the sewerage system were being executed in Ludhiana at a cost of Rs. 180 crore through reputed firms and a project of STP at a cost of Rs. 93 crore was also under execution in the city.

The Chief Minister further said that the state government had chalked out an other ambitious programme scheme at a cost of Rs.20.85 crore to provide sewerage system in 100 villages initially and to begin with five religious holy towns including Baba Bakala, Khadoor Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Chola Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib would be provided sewerage system at a cost of Rs.2.74 crore along with drinking water supply at a cost of Rs.8.11 crore.
Prominent among other who were present in the meeting included Advisor to Chief Minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Principal Secretary Local Government D.S. Bains, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. K.J. S. Cheema, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar and Superintending Engineer Water Supply and Sewerage Board K.S. Nagla.

BADAL, SUKHBIR & SEKHWAN CONDOLES THE SAD DEMISE OF MR. DP REDDY’S SON

CHANDIGARH OCTOBER 29:

Secretary-cum-Director Tourism and Cultural Affairs Punjab Mr. DP Reddy was bereaved today when he lost his elder son Mr. Deva Venkat Ram Reddy, who died in an accident at Hyderabad where he was pursuing LL.B final in NALSAR University of Law. He was 21.

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal expressed profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Mr. DP Reddy’s son who passed away in the prime of his youth.

The Chief Minister also shared his heart felt sympathies with the members of the bereaved family and prayed to the Almighty to give strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss and grant peace to the departed soul.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Information & Public Relations Minister Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan also mourned the tragic demise of Mr. Deva Venkat Ram Reddy and expressed their condolences with the members of bereaved family.

7-MEMBER PANEL CONSTITUTED FOR FASTER IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN PUNJAB

CHANDIGARH OCTOBER 29:

On the advice of Union Minister of Road, Transport & Highways Mr. Kamal Nath, the Punjab government has constituted a 7-member committee under the chairmanship of State Chief Secretary to streamline coordination among various departments to ensure faster implementation of the National Highway projects in the state.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal had given his approval for the constitution of this committee which would include; Financial Commissioner Revenue, Principal Secretary Power, Principal Secretary Forest, Secretary PWD (B&R), Secretary Water Supply & Sanitation as its members and the Chief General Manager National Highways Authority of India would be its Member Secretary. The committee’s mandate would include expeditious resolution of issues for timely implementation of the project inter-alia including land acquisition, shifting of utilities and rehabilitation and resettlement.

It may be added that Mr. Kamal Nath in a letter to the Chief Minister has informed that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had taken up through the National Highway Authority of India, upgradation of national highways under various phases of the NHDP. The government has set itself an ambitious target of building 20 Kms of National Highways everyday, which translates into approximately 7000 Kms per year. To achieve the target, annual work plans have been formulated by NHAI, under which about 12000 km and 11000 km of would be awarded during 200-10 and 2010-11 respectively.

CHANDIGARH OCTOBER 29:

Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, newly inducted Cabinet Minister today assumed the charge of Information & Public Relations, NRI Affairs, Defence Services Welfare, Removal of Grievances, Pensioners’ Wing of Finance Department portfolios in his office here at Punjab Civil Secretariat.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab government said that Mr. Sekhwan was accompanied by his family members and well wishers at the time of assuming charge. He was welcomed by the senior officers and staff of the Information & Public Relations Department.

In an informal interaction with the senior officers of the PR department, Mr. Sekhwan emphasized the need to strengthen the department by filling the vacant posts and up-gradation of the existing infrastructure in the department on the priority to make it far more efficient and responsive in highlighting the policies and programmes of the SAD-BJP government at the grass roots level. The officers assured the Minister that they would strive hard in realizing his aspirations to act as a bridge between government and masses.

Earlier, the Additional Director Administration Mr. Gurwaryam Singh and Additional Director Mr. Jarnail Singh presented bouquets to Mr. Sekhwan on behalf of the staff of the Public Relations Department on the occasion.
It may be recalled that Mr. Sekhwan was elected as MLA in 1997 and 2009 by-elections from Kahnuwan Assembly Constituency. He also remained the Minister of State for Information & Public Relations, Revenue and Rehabilitation in SAD-BJP government in 1997.

INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT PUNJAB

APPOINTMENT LETTERS ISSUED TO SIX HANDICAPPED
VETNARY INSPECTORS – RANIKE

CHANDIGARH OCTOBER 29:

Long pending six posts of handicapped vetnary inspectors in Animal Husbandry Department Punjab were today filled as per the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister.
Disclosing this here today Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, Animal Husbandry Minister Punjab said that appointment letters has also been handed over to newly appointed vetnary inspectors.
Handicapped vetnary inspectors who got appointment letters included Mr. Gurbachan Singh, Mr. Babu Lal , Mr. Sukhjinder Pal Singh, Mr. Lovedeep Singh, Mr. Sham Sunder and Surjit Singh. Mr. Ranike while giving appointment letters asked the officers to work with full dedication and devotion.

94.28 LAKH TONNES PADDY PROCURED IN PUNJAB
`
Chandigarh, October 29: Government agencies and private millers procured more than 94.28 lakh tonnes of Paddy till last evening

Out of total procurement of 9428979 tonnes of paddy in all the procurement centers of Punjab, Government agencies procured 9235642 tonnes of paddy (97.9%) till date whereas private traders procured 193337 tonnes (2.1%) of paddy. Till October 28, PUNGRAIN had procured 2669046 tonnes (28.9%) whereas MARKFED procured 1892061 tonnes (20.5%). PUNSUP procured 2157698 tonnes (23.4%), PSWC procured 1158080 tonnes (12.5%) whereas PAIC- 903197 (9.8 %) was able to procure of paddy.

The Central Government agency FCI had been able to procure 455560 tonnes (4.9%).
The spokesman added that District Patiala with 1035265 tonnes of procurement was leading in procurement operations whereas district Ferozepur 884378 tonnes of procurement was at second slot and District Ludhiana with 874427 tonnes of procurement ranked at third position.

The State Government has set up 1600 procurement centres and activated its total machinery to ensure smooth procurement of paddy, the spokesman added.