EMPOWERED COMMITTEE APPROVES 13 NEW MEGA
PROJECTS WORTH RS. 21279 CRORES
CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008
The Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief
Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, today approved 13 new Mega Projects
to be set up in Punjab with an investment of about Rs.21278.77
crore with an employment potential of about 65,094 persons.
Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab Government
said that these approved projects included; two manufacturing
projects viz. Nector Lifesciences Limited (Rs.600 crore) at village
Khanpur in district Patiala and Tayal Energy Limited (Rs.335.36
crore) at Kotakpura in Faridkot district with a total investment
of Rs.935.36 crore thereby generating total employment potential
of 2100 persons.
The spokesman further said that the two Industrial Park projects
approved included one, Rhythm Textile and Apparels Park Limited
(Rs.134.56 crore) in district Nawanshehar and another CCI Industrial
Estate and Cluster Co-operative Industrial Society Limited (Rs.105.61
crore) in Mohali district with a total investment of Rs.240.17
crore and employment generation of 35000 jobs.
Three Multiplexes of M/s. Prime Infrawell Private Limited, Patiala
and M/s.Stadia Infrastructure Project Private Limited and two
Hotel projects of M/s. Fantasy Hotels India Limited in districts
of Patiala, Jalandhar & Amritsar with an investment of Rs.791.44
crore had also been approved with an employment generation capacity
of 1754 jobs.
The spokesman further said that four projects of Super Mega
Mix Use Integrated IT/Industrial Park projects including VAR Realtors
Private Limited, Ludhiana (Rs. 4321 crore), Pravesh Promoters
Private Limited, Jalandhar (Rs.10555 crore), PACL India Limited,
Ludhiana (Rs.2186 crore) and PACL India Limited, Patiala (Rs.2218
crore) were also approved with a total investment of Rs.19280
crore thereby generating total employment potential for 35,000
persons.
The empowered committee also approved an Agro based Industrial
project namely Chahal Spintex Limited at village Kotshamir in
district Bathinda with an investment of Rs.31.80 crore having
employment potential of 140 persons.
The Empowered Committee had so far approved 19 projects in its
various meetings with total investment of about Rs.11825.14 crore.
The projects sanctioned so far were coming up in the districts
of Nawanshehar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Sangrur,
Ferozepur, Faridkot and Panthankot (Gurdaspur district) and were
under various stages of implementation.
With the approval of 14 new Mega Projects total number of approved
projects had now gone up to 27 with the total investment of Rs.330103.91
crore, the spokesman added.
Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included;
Local Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia, Finance Minister
Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal, Agriculture Minister Mr. Sucha Singh
Langah, Forest Minister Mr. Tiksan Sud, Tourism Minister Mr. Hira
Singh Gabria, Revenue Minister Mr.Ajit Singh Kohar, Transport
Minister Master Mohan Lal, PWD (B&R) Minister Mr. Parminder
Singh Dhindsa, Chief Secretary Mr. R.I. Singh, Principal Secretary
to Chief Minister Mr.D.S.Guru, Financial Commissioner Revenue,
Ms.Romila Dubey, Financial Commissioner Development Mr.R.S.Sandhu,
Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce Mr. S.S.Channey,
Principal Secretary Irrigation & Power Mr.Suresh Kumar, Secreary
Housing & Urban Development Mr.Arun Goyal, Principal Secretary
Forests Mr.R.C. Nayyar and Managing Director Punjab Agro Industries
Corporation Mr. S.K.Sandhu.No.
PUNJAB ANOUNCES STATE AWARDS TO 16 TECHERS
ON TEACHERS DAY
Chandigarh September 3, 2008
The Punjab Government today announced state awards to the sixteen
teachers of government and aided schools of the state.
Disclosing this here today Dr. Upinderjit Kaur Education and
Languages Minister Punjab said that the state awardees were selected
strictly on the basis of merit and their superb performance in
the field of education by the various sub committees of the department
constituted in this regard. The committees have personally visited
the respective schools to judge and enquire about the performance
of the teachers who applied for the awards.
She said that the suggestions of these sub committees were again
scrutinised by the state committee and recommended the ten state
awards to secondary teachers. Only six state awardees were selected
from elementary teachers who were eligible in the merit above
60 % in their academic achievements.
Giving details Dr. Upinderjit Kaur said that from secondary
teachers Ms. Sangita, Lecturer English, Govt. Girls Senior Secondary
School Panjgrain Kalan Distt. Faridkot, Dr. Satinder Singh, Lecturer
Commerce, Govt. Girls Senior Secondary School (GGSSS), Ferozepur,
Gurmeet Singh Lecturer Commerce Govt. Model Senior Secondary School,
Kharar, Joginder Kaur Head Mistress, Govt. High School, Muradpura
District Amritsar, Harjit Singh Balari Lecturer Economics &
Incharge Principal, Govt. Senior Secondary School (GSSS) Issru
District Ludhiana, Karnail Singh SS Master, GSSS, Bir Hodla Kalan
District Mansa, Rana Preet Kaur Principal. GGSSS, Mandi Gobindgarh
District Fatehgarh Sahib, Dr. Kuldeep Singh, Hindi Master &
Incharge Principal, GSSS, Reond Kalan District Mansa, Bhupinder
Kaur Headmistress, Guru Nanak Mahavidyalya, Sr. Secondary School
Ahmedgarh, District Sangrur and Mann Singh Principal Bhai Gurdas
GSSS Basarke Gillan Distt. Amritsar would be awarded.
Adding further the Minister said that from elementary schools
Amarjit Singh EET Teacher, Govt Elementary School (GES) Bugga
Distt. Tarntarn, Amarjit Kaur Bhatti Head Teacher, GES Gopal Nagar
Distt. Amaritsar, Gurprit Singh Incharge Head Master, Govt. Middle
School Zafarkot Distt. Amritsar, Sarbjit Singh ETT Teacher, GES
Jawandpur Distt. Tarntarn and Varinderjeet Kaur Punjabi Mistress,
GES Makhewala Distt. Mansa would also be honoured with state awards.
The Minister said that the state awards would be presented to
the awardees on Friday 5th September, the Teachers Day, being
organised at SAS Nagar (Mohali) at 11 AM. On the occasion S. Sukhbir
Singh Badal Member Parliament and President Shiromani Akali Dal
would be the Chief Guest and Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal would also
grace the occasion as a guest of honour.
Parliamentary Delegation of Bhutan calls
on Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha
Chandigarh, September 3, 2008
: 19 members delegation headed by MR. H.E. Lyonp Jigme Tshultim,
speaker of the National Assembly Bhuttan, today called on Mr.
Nirmal Singh Kahlon, speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha in his Vidhan
Sabha chamber.
The delegation was on study tour and discussed at length the
working of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, with the speaker and appreciated
the smooth working of the Vidhan Sabha. He said we would also
bring certain changes in our parliamentary functioning to improve
it further.
Earlier welcoming the delegation Mr. Kahlon invitied the delegation
at his residence for dinner.
Mr. Madan Mohan, Secretary Vidhan Sabha was also present in
the meeting.
Other prominent members of the delegation includes Mrs. Aurn
Pema Choden, wife of Mr. Lyonp Jigme Tshultim, Mrs. Sonam Penjor,
Mrs. Sonam Penjor, Mr. Choida Jamtsho, Mr. Rinchem Dorji, Mr.
Ugyen Dorji, Ms. Karma Lhamo, Mr. Ugay Tshering, Mr. Ugen Wangdi,
Ms. Lila Pradhan, Mr. Kesang Namgyel, Dr. Mani Kumar Rai, Ms.
Pema Lhamo, Miss Jigme (Daughter of Speaker0, Mr. S. Chatterjee,
Mr. Ram Lal Yada, Mr. Hemant Kumar.
PUNJAB CABINET OKAYS DRAFT LEGISLATION
TO AMEND PUNJABI OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, ACT -USE OF PUNJABI MADE
COMPUSLORY FOR OFFICIAL WORK IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008
In a landmark decision, the Punjab Cabinet today cleared the
draft bill for the Punjab Languages (Amendment) Act to make the
study of Punjabi compulsory up to class X Government and private
schools.
Giving details, Mr. Harcharan Bains Media Advisor to the Punjab
Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal said that the Bill, once
becomes an Act, would apply equally to the schools affiliated
to the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate Secondary Examination
(ICSE) through out Punjab. Similarly, all the official work in
the government offices and semi-government institutions would
be carried on in Punjabi. All official correspondence and the
official work in all Colleges and Universities in the state would
also be carried in the Punjab Language, Mr. Bains said.
While presiding over the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Badal described
this decision as "One of the happiest decisions of my life",
Mr. Badal said that, " the Cabinet has in effect saluted
the entire unmatched history and tradition of the Punjabi people.
Today's decision has profound historical and cultural dimensions
and is our humble tribute to the Language, which symbolizes the
unparalleled spiritual legacy of our great Masters. Our great
Gurus poured out their divine message to the entire mankind, bestowing
upon it the stature of Gurmukhi (the language of the Gurus)",
said Mr. Badal describing September 3 as the a red letter day
in the history of the people of Punjab.
Mr. Badal said that the Punjabis all over the world would celebrate
the occasion with illumination of their houses on the pattern
of the Diwali.
The Bill, the draft of which was piloted in the Cabinet meeting
by the Education Minister Dr. Upinderjit Kaur would be introduced
in the forthcoming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha beginning tomorrow.
In another decision of major significance, the Cabinet gave
its approval to the setting up of Ayurvedic University in the
State. The University would be located in the foot- hills of the
Shivalik range in Hoshiarpur district known for its rich and exotic
fauna and flora. The district had been chosen since its soil is
congenial for the growth of herbal medicine parks which were supplementary
and complementary for the promotion of Ayush in Punjab. The need
for this university which would be only the 3rd in the world of
its kind was felt in view of the growing awareness of alternative
system of medicine to promote Ayush which covered Yoga & Naturopathy,
Unani Siddha and Homoeopathy apart from Ayurveda which were earlier
popular in large number of states of our country have now caught
global imagination with many countries of Asian, European and
American continents evincing deep interest in these. With growing
popularity and wide acceptability of Ayurvedic and Yoga, India
had now become a major medical Tourism Center for international
tourists as a sizable chunk of Medical Tourists prefered Ayurvedic
medicinal treatment as a traditional health care system.
The Cabinet also approved the Punjab Protection of Medicare
Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention
of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill 2008 to be placed in
the coming session of Vidhan Sabha for its enactment providing
for punishment to offenders who indulged in violence against Medicare
Service Persons or damage the property in Medical Service Institutions
etc.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan
Bains gave an assurance to this effect on behalf of the Chief
Minister to a deputation of striking doctors including office
bearers of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab to bring this
legislation on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the
interests of the medical fraternity.
Mr. Bains also disclosed that the Cabinet also placed on record
its appreciation for Mr. Badal for commencement of work on Punjab's
ever biggest 1980 MW Thermal Power Plant at Banawali (Talwandi
Sabo) as a major step towards ushering in an era of power revolution
on one hand and making Punjab a 'Power Surplus State' on the other.
The cabinet also commended the officers and officials of the state
government and Punjab State Electricity Board for the timely initiation
of this prestigious project and expressed gratitude to the people
of Punjab who attended the function of the historic launch of
this project in teeming lacs.
The Cabinet also gave its nod for the conversion of the Punjab
Value Added Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 into an act through
presentation of the bill in the forthcoming session of the Punjab
Assembly. Likewise, the cabinet also gave approval for amending
Section 13 of the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005 regarding provision
for input tax credit through presentation of a Bill in the coming
session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The Punjab Government today released the
installment of Rs. 11 crore as a 50% Dearness Allowance merger
in the basic pay of Government aided colleges in the state
Besides, the Carrier Advance Scheme (CAS) for the Librarians and
Physical Education Lecturers of Aided Colleges has also been implemented.
Disclosing this here today Dr. Upinderjit Kaur, Education &
Languages Minister, Punjab said that the higher education department
has received a memorandum of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers
Union in this regard and acceded to their genuine demands by releasing
the pending installment for 50% D.A. merger since 2002. She said
that the CAS for aided colleges have also been implemented from
6 August, 2008.
The Minister added that the UGC letter no. 1/94(PS) dated 12-2-2008,
regarding participation in refresher courses/summer institutes each
having duration of three/four weeks, have also been implemented
by the higher education department from 6-8-2008.
Adding further Dr. Upinderjit Kaur said that the state government
is committed to provide quality education to the students and asked
the teaching faculty to devote their full attention in imparting
better study to the students.
Punjab Govt. have withdrawn its letter of consent for changing
the status of Punjab University to that of a Central University.
Some vested interest are still spreading distortions and disinformation
through media and otherwise. In order to make people aware of the
correct perspective and clarify doubts / misgivings being spread,
some senior senior educationists will hold a press conference on
04/09/2008 at 11:00 A.M. in the Seminar Hall of Punjab Book Centre,
Sector – 22B, Chandigarh.
You are requested to attend or depute your representative to cover
this Press Conference.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,