Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 28: Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra has distinguished himself as being among the most active and effective parliamentarians going by the number of decisions taken by the centre relating Punjab at his initiative.
He maintains that he would continue to play this role of championing the issues relating to the people and the state.
One of the most important decisions relate to giving clearances for starting international flights from the upgraded Chandigarh international airport. He took up this issue even with the authorities concerned in the defence ministry as this airport is maintained by the Indian Air Force. There were certain issues that were to be sorted out by the Air Force.
Linking Anandpur Sahib with Amritsar with a train has been possible due to his persistent efforts. This train links the two cities famous for sacred Sikh shrines.
The Nangal based National Fertilizer unit was being closed down. This would have been a big setback to hundreds of families. Now not only that decision has been reversed, this one of the oldest units would also be expanded. Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shahheed Bhagat Singh has now been included in the Adarsh Gram Yojna. Similarly, Anandpur Sahib-Garhshankar-Banga road has been upgraded as the national highway.
Chandumajra succeeded in getting Rs 8 crore sanctioned to cover the drain passing through Mohali. The two railway under bridges near Gurdwara Parivar Vichhora and Ropar have come up due to his initiative.
Then there are a number of important issues concerning the state and the people that he raised on the floor of the Lok Sabha and this include the transfer of Chandigarh pending which posting of 60 per cent employees from the Punjab cadre.
Field should be taken as a unit for assessing crop loss due to natural calamities and the minimum compensation revised to Rs 10,000 per acre.
The minimum support price for crops should be fixed in accordance with the recommendations made by the Swaminanthan Committee and the allocation for farm research should be hiked. More crops should be brought within the ambit of MSP system while providing easy credit to the farmers.
On the controversial land acquisition legislation, he has emphasised that the land should not be taken over without the consent of the farmers, one member of the affected family be given government job and the limit of corridor on two sides of the highways should be fixed at one km.
In the education sector, he has been pressing for the setting up of a regulatory body to rationalise the fee structure to protect the interests of the students and the teaching community. In an effort to create awareness among the students, the history and culture of the region along with that of the country should be taught in the mother tongue of the student in that region.
Yet another important issue he has taken up in the Lok Sabha relate to getting justice for the victims of 1984 violence against the Sikhs by re-opening 227 cases close by the Delhi police. Release of the Sikh prisoners having completed their terms and ending black list of NRI Sikhs are the other significant issues.
He also pressed for necessary amendments in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 to pave the way for the revival of the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, besides rejecting the legislation adopted by Haryana to set up a separate gurdwara Parbandhak committee. Yet another issue is starting direct flight between Chandigarh and Nanded.
The issues relating specifically to Anandpur Sahib include promoting this historical city as religious tourism centre, constructing Anandpur Sahib-Garhshankar rail link to provide direct connection with Amritsar and linking Rahon with Samrala by railway line. He has persistently taken up the issue of providing subsidy to the farmers in the sub-montane areas for fencing to save crops from protected wild animals.
