Chandigarh/Sarabha (Ludhiana), Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal today warned that he would not tolerate any kind of indiscipline in the police department and said that next time if any official is found absent from the police station during duty hours, the concerned SSP would be held responsible. “I would then take action against the SSP and not some lower ranked official,” said the Deputy CM while talking to mediapersons at Sarabha village, near here today.
Last evening, the Deputy CM had taken a round of Mohali in a private car and found that no police official was present on duty at traffic lights as well as prominent roundabouts of the city. “When I went to the Police Station, only the Munshi was present whereas the other staff was missing. From now on, I warn all the police officials that they should perform their duties with utmost devotion else I would take strict action against them,” warned Deputy CM Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal.
He also requested all other ministers to hold surprise checks in offices under them in a similar manner.
Issuing a strict warning to those involved in drug trade, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said that such people should mend their ways else they would be put behind bars. “During our anti-drug drive in the last two years, we have arrested more than 30,000 people who were directly involved in drug trade. I request the women folk of our state to assist us in our drive against drugs and give us secret inputs on our helpline number 181. If any person near you is selling drugs, all you need to do is give a call at 181 and I assure you that the person would be put behind bars,” said the Deputy CM.
He said that to channelise energy of our youth towards the right direction, Punjab Institute of Sports have been set up, whose headquarters would be at Mohali and a branch has been set up in Jalandhar. “We would train thousands of youngsters in 11 different sports disciplines and the director’s of each discipline would join by December. International coaches would also be recruited and I assure that by 2020 Olympics, the Indian contingent would have maximum sportspersons from Punjab,” he said.
He announced that from near year onwards, matches of Kabaddi World Cup would also be organised at village Sarabha. “We would give the existing stadium an ultra modern look and funds for the same would be allocated by the state government,” said the Deputy CM while assuring that the road leading to Sarabha village would also be widened.
Mr Badal further stated that for the benefit of common man, especially living in villages, the state government would set up around 2,600 unified civil services centres in villages and towns where the residents would be able to avail of 225 different citizen centric facilities in a hassle free manner. “Now you would get these services at your doorstep,” said the Deputy CM.
Deputy CM Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal visited Sarabha village to attend a sports festival organised on the 99th martyrdom day of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha today. The Deputy CM also paid obeisance at the memorial built in the memory of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, and inaugurated a project for the widening of internal roads of village Sarabha.
Addressing a function, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha was the youngest martyr, who sacrificed his life at the age of 19. He said that this brave son of the country, had been a great source of inspiration for the patriots, struggling during freedom movement to liberate the county from British rulers. Mr Badal said that Sarabha had joined Gaddar party in US and returned to India to lead the revolution. The Deputy Chief Minister said that Sarabha had been considered as the ideologue of the freedom movement, who proved to be a source of inspiration for the other young patriots of the country including Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Dakha MLA Mr Manpreet Singh Ayali, advisor to CM Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, SAD district president Mr Madan Lal Bagga, Subordinate Selection Services Board Punjab chairman Mr Santa Singh Umedpuri, Director Department of Information & Public Relations Punjab Mr Rahul Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner Mr Rajat Agarwal, DIG Ludhiana Range Mr G S Dhillon, SSP Ludhiana (Rural) Mr Ravcharan Singh Brar, former minister Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, former MP Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal, former MLAs Mr Ishar Singh Meharban, Mr Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, besides several others.