Badal: Committed To Address Hardships Faced By Punjabi NRIs

[HSD2]

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today assured the Punjabi Diaspora settled across the globe to address all their genuine hardships relating to their land and other civil matters on the top priority in result oriented manner and asked he NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia to get all the issues examined which came up for discussion during Two-days Parvasi Punjabi Sammelan before taking a final decision in this regard.

Addressing a mammoth gathering here at Cabana Club near Phagwara on the second day of the NRI sammelan, Badal promised the NRIs and others dignitaries that the decisions taken for their welfare would be implemented in the letter and spirit.

He said that the high level joint committee of senior cabinet ministers under his chairman and representatives of NRIs would deliberate upon the issues thread bare so that the consensus emerged at this august forum could be bring to logical end.

He reiterated his commitment that the welfare of Punjabi NRIs was on the highest priority of government agenda and the promises made with them would be fulfilled at every cost as it was a question of the credibility of the state government.

He asked Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Majithia to have regular interaction with him from time to time to ensure implementation of these decisions in a time bound manner. He categorically said: “I stood by every word which I promised with my NRI brethren”.

He urged the NRI dignitaries to be in touch with the state government for their healthy suggestions to bring far more improvement in the services being provided by the government to them as they had a vast experience and better administrative experience having latest access to the information technology and other communication techniques like online communication/redressal system of grievances as prevalent in their respective countries.

He rued probably communication gap was the major malady which result in poor implementations of decisions and asked them to ‘correct us wherever they found any deficiency in any welfare scheme or policy meant for NRIs’.

Badal unequivocally said that the sole objective of this NRI sammelan was to ensure the overall well being of the Punjabi Diaspora settled in various parts of the world and none should link it with any sort of political mileage as it was our bounden duty to resolve the issues of NRIs because they were an integral part of our society.

Seeking fulsome support and cooperation from NRIs in imparted skill training to the unemployed youth, Badal said that the state government was ready to invest and provide requisite infrastructure for the purpose.

Badal urged the NRIs to send a team of experts in the field of skill development who could help the government to prepare a blue print to effectively combat the problem of unemployed youth.

He also sought a panel of eminent doctors, engineers, progressive farmers and technocrats who could guide the government in its ongoing programs and schemes related to health care and medical research, infrastructure, scientific agriculture etc.

He pointed out that the state government had already tied up with the federal German government for the skill development program in the state under which five lakh youth would be imparted skill training over a period of five years.

Recalling the glorious history of Shiromani Akali Dal, Badal said that it had a saga of numerous sacrifices for the welfare of the Sikh panth.

He said that the party ever since had propagated its rich legacy to strengthen the routes of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat.

He said that the credit goes to Shiromani Akali Dal for ensuring congenial atmosphere of peace, communal harmony and brotherhood which was the redeeming factor for any state to achieve prosperity and development.

Highlighting the exemplary role of Shiromani Akali Dal as a champion of the freedom of press, Badal said that he along with several party colleagues were imprisoned during emergency.

Govt to sponsor overseas higher education to 50 bright students from EWS

On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced a scholarship for 50 economically poor students from the state for pursuing higher study abroad and said that the entire expenditure on their studies boarding and lodging would be borne by the state government.

He also announced that a matching development grant would be released by the state government for any project initiated by the NRI in his native village, town or city in the state to ensure the participation of NRIs in the development projects of the state government.

Majithia expresses gratitude to Punjab NRIs for good response

In his inaugural address Revenue and Information & Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia thanked all the participating NRIs for the overwhelming response given to this gala event.

Lauding the role played by Punjabis in the development of Punjab and India as well as in the countries wherever they have settled abroad, the Minister said that due to their rare qualities of entrepreneurship, hard work and resilience the Punjabi brethren have proved their mettle in every field.

He said that the main motive of calling this two days Parvasi Punjabi Sammellan was to take the views of the Punjabi Diaspora settled abroad in ushering a new era of unprecedented development in the state besides redressing the matters pertaining to the NRIS.

Majithia said that the suggestions that have came out of this two days interactive session would go a long way in helping the state government to formulate policies for ensuring the well being of the Punjabis settled abroad by safeguarding their interests in their mother state. He said that through this session the NRIs have now became an integral part of policy formulation in the state.

Majithia also urged the NRIs to get them registered for the Non Resident Punjabi Multipurpose card which would act as a key for getting their any work related to the state government within 72 hours.

Police launch website for online redressal of NRI grievances

Earlier the Chief Minister accompanied by the Deputy Chief Minister and Majithia also launched a website of the state government to facilitate the NRIs for redressing their complaints online.

On the occasion, the Government of Punjab also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a NGO run by the Member of House of Lords (UK) Lord Raj Loomba for ensuring the welfare of 5000 widows in the state by imparting technical training to them.

On the part of the state government Principal Secretary NRI Affairs SS Channy signed the MoU with Lord Loomba in presence of Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal and Cabinet Minister Mr Bikram Singh Majithia. Under this MoU Rs 1 crore would be given by Loomba foundation whereas a matching grant of Rs 1 crore would be given by the state government.

At the very outset of the second day of the session an impressive documentary showcasing the role played by Ghadar movement in the Indian Freedom Struggle was also telecasted amongst the audiences.

http://punjabnewsline.com/news/Committed-to-address-hardships-faced-by-Punjabi-NRIs_-Badal.html

[HSD2]

So what do people think?

Do you trust Badal and the Akali Dal?

Would you help out EP Govt?

Is it worthwhile creating programs or investing in EP?

What would you recommend?

It may be worthwhile discussing something like this rather than the things issues like this end up causing. All discussion points welcome.

[West London Singh]

I wouldn't trust Badal further than I could throw him. And trust me.....I'd like to throw him very far....and hard. And then jump on his head just to make sure some permanent damage has been done.

Badal is the reason 'NRI Punjabis' don't wanna invest in Punjab. He is whats wrong with Punjab. Him now making sweet talk with nri's is like a spider beckoning a fly with kind words.

[HSD2]

I wouldn't trust Badal further than I could throw him. And trust me.....I'd like to throw him very far....and hard. And then jump on his head just to make sure some permanent damage has been done.

Badal is the reason 'NRI Punjabis' don't wanna invest in Punjab. He is whats wrong with Punjab. Him now making sweet talk with nri's is like a spider beckoning a fly with kind words.

That's my opinion too. But what are the alternatives for EP then if we carry on with this line of thought?

[proactive]

Badal is a traitor to the Sikh cause and he has been responsible for Sikhi being a mess in Punjab. However, in the last decade both his government and Amrinder Singh's govt did pass some laws which led to many NRIs bring able to take possession their properties which had been usurped by their relatives in Punjab. On a personal note due to help of the NRI sabha many years ago were able to get a drain which had been dug on our land moved off it within a few months even though it had been there since the late 70s. I feel that many people abroad just think they would not be able to get their usurped land back and so give up. They should use their NRI status to get their land back.

While on the subject of land, the land records of most villages are now online which is something positive that Badal has done and you can check or verify what land is still in your parents or grandparents names by using this website

http://210.212.41.167/frmSelectDistrict.aspx

the land record is called Jamabandi.

[HSD2]

I've always wondered why NRIs are so keen on owning EP farmland. It's not like they're ever going to farm it and its just seems to make things difficult for East Punjabis. It's not like many NRIs couldnt do with the money invested there either for businesses in the West or educating their kids.

[HSD2]

Punjab PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon today claimed that the SAD-BJP government in Punjab was vigorously pursuing the agenda of development. “The state will get a complete face lift in next three years and Punjab will once again become number one state in the country,” he said.

Talking to media persons after inaugurating a Rs 18 crore railway over bridge constructed on Samrala-Chawa Road, he said the farsightedness of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and development-oriented policies of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal will take the state on new heights in the near future.

Dhillon said the government was in the process of bringing about radical changes in the fields of healthcare, education and legislative mechanism while also carrying forward major development projects across the state. “All rural link roads are being strengthened and widened to provide better surface transport facilities to the people,” he observed.

Lashing the Congress-led UPA government at the centre, Dhillon said the Punjab farmers were making a significant contribution to fill the food bowl of the nation, and other sections of the people were also filling the coffers of the Centre by way of taxes.

“However, the centre is giving a step-motherly treatment to Punjab, and revenue generated from the state is being doled out to other Congress-ruled states,” he alleged.

The minister announced a grant of Rs 17 crore for repair of roads in Samrala area at this occasion.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/Punjab-to-get-complete-facelift-in-next-3-yrs-_-Dhillon.html

[HSD2]

10 points if you spot the mistake.

[Mehtab Singh]

Few years ago when he was campaigning, there was a full-fledged Bhangra-styled Punjabi song playing on several Punjabi channels who were promoting him. The lyrics went like "kadi kadi Rabb paida karda Badal jehe insaan". I cracked up and wondered "aaho inna kameena banda te Rabb vi ghatt hee banounda".