BJP unit president Prof. Rajinder Bhandari offering a ladoo to Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal

State BJP unit president Prof. Rajinder Bhandari offering a ladoo to Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal in his office after taking over

as Deputy Chief Minister in CMO at Chandigarh on 23-1-09. Forest and Medical education Minister Tikshan sood is also seen in the picture.

Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur wife of Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal offering a ladoo to his husband on his taking over as Deputy Chief Minister in CMO at Chandigarh on 23-1-2009.State State BJP unit president Prof. Rajinder Bhandari & Forest and Medical education Minister Tikshan sood is also seen in the picture.

Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal addressing the media persons immediately after assuming the office in CMO at Chandigarh on 23-1-2009. Media Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Harcharan Bains and State Chief Secretary Mr. R.I.Singh is also seen in the picture.

INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT PUNJAB- January 26th

Chandigarh, January 23, 2009

The State level Republic Day Celebration would be held at Ludhiana where the Governor of Punjab Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues would unfurl the national flag and take the solute on January 26th. S. Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab would unfurl the flag at Amritsar. S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab would unfurl the flag at Patiala where as Mr. Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha would unfurl the flag at Jalandhar.

Stating this her today a spokesman of the Punjab Government said that all the Cabinet Minister namely Mr. Manoranjan Kalia at Ferozepaur, Mr. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura at Tarn Taran, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, SAS Nagar Mohali, Mr. Manpreet Badal at Gurdaspur, Mr. Tikshan Sud-Sangrur, Smt. Upinderjit Kaur, Ropar, Laxmi Kanta Chawla –Kapurthala, Mr. Ajit Singh Kohar-Hoshiarpur, Master Mohan Lal-Moga, Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike- Muktsar, Mr.Parminder Singh Dhindsa-Barnala, Mr. Swarna Ram-Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar,, Mr. Sucha Singh Langah-Faridkot, Mr. Janmeja Singh Sekhon-Bathinda and Mr. Hira Singh Gabrria- Fatehgarh Sahib.

The Deputy Speaker Mr. Satpal Gosain would unfurl the national flag at Mansa the Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Mr. Jagdish Sahni-Batala, Mr. Harish Rai Dhanda-Jagraon, Mr. Jagdeep Singh Nakai-Rampuraphul, Mr. Sheetal Singh –Jira, Mrs.Mohinder Kaur Josh-Dasuya, Mr. Arunesh Shakar-Nangal, Mr. Bikramjit Singh Khalsa-Khanna, Mr. Sher Singh Ghubiaya- Fazilka, Sh. Avinash Chander-Phagwara, Mr. Sukhpal Singh-Jalalabad, Mr. Raj Kumar Khurana-Rajpura, Mr.Desh Raj Dhugga-Mukerian and Mr. Nand Lal at Garhshankar.

SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL ASSUMES OFFICE OF DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER

Outlines his Vision to Make Punjab as a Front Runner State

CHANDIGARH JANUARY 23, 2009

Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today formally assumed the office of Deputy Chief Minister Punjab amidst lot of fanfare and enthusiasm shown by the senior leaders and party workers of SAD-BJP alliance.

Immediately after taking over the office as Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal had an interaction with media persons and outlined his vision to make Punjab as the front-runner state in the country. Mr. Badal profusely thanked the Almighty for giving him an opportunity to serve the people of Punjab and state. He said that people of Punjab had lot of expectations from him and he would try to satiate every section of the society and sought people's whole-hearted cooperation to translate their aspirations and dreams into a reality.

Referring to some key areas of development and the welfare of the people, Mr. Badal said that the state government had constituted an Administrative Reforms Commission to streamline and simplify the 70 public utility services both in police and civil in order to save people from the undue harassment and corruption. He hoped that the entire recommendations of the commission would be implemented in toto by December 2009 to make the system of administration more accountable and transparent.

On power sector, Deputy Chief Minister said that our government from day one initiated concerted efforts under the stewardship of Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal to make Punjab a power surplus state. He said that with in 22 months the SAD-BJP government had been able to put two mega thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo and Goindwal Sahib with an installed capacity of 1980 MW and 540 MW respectively on the ground and the remaining two one at Gidderbaha with generation capacity of 2640 MW and Rajpura 1320 MW were in the active stages of implementation. He reiterated that it was the endeavour of our government to make Punjab as a power surplus by the end of the forth year of the regime of the present government.

Mr. Badal especially emphasized on the development and the welfare of the youth, he said that he had kept the department of Sports & Youth Services to formulate a concrete policy to ensure their participation in the development process in the state as 70% of the population was below the age of 35. He also announced that the Youth Development Board would be constituted soon to give due representation to the youth in the overall development and growth of the state.
Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the model of inclusive growth and balanced development of rural and urban sectors would be implemented in right earnest. Likewise, the upliftment of the poor, the down-trodden and the dalits would remain on the top of the agenda of the government. He said that our youth had a tremendous potential and unbounded energy which should be channelized for constructive purposes and also underlined the need to save them from the menace of drug addiction for which he announced to launch a crusade against this malady.

Earlier, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal accompanied by his wife Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur and his brother-in-law former Information & Public Relations Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia reached his office who offered him sweets on assuming the charge of the office of Deputy Chief Minister.

Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included State Unit BJP President Prof.Rajinder Bhandari, Forest & Medical Education Minister Mr. Tikshan Sud, Cooperation Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Advisor to Chief Minister DS Cheema, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Harcharan Bains, Chief Secretary Mr. RI Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. DS Guru, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Director Information & Public Relations Mr. Gagandeep Singh Brar and Additional Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister AK Mahajan. Besides several MLAs and senior leaders of SAD-BJP presented bouquets to their beloved youthful Deputy Chief Minister on the occasion.

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