M A I N   N E W S

At a glance

• 62 km ring road in Ludhiana on BOT basis at an estimated cost of Rs 1,516 crore
• Ring road and urban corridor in Mohali
• Bypass for three important roads in Bathinda, Nawanshahar and Garhshankar
• Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, to be commissioned
• City Transport Services in the Municipal Corporations towns of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala
• Special Economic Zone in Amritsar and Goindwal Sahib
• Rs 10 crore for improvement of existing industrial focal points
• Rs 14 crore for creation of new industrial focal points
• Rs 3 crore for completion of Northern Indian Institute of Fashion Technology at Mohali
• A flying academy to be set up at Talwandi Sabo to produce commercial pilots; Amritsar International Airport and Sahnewal Flying Clubs to be expanded at a cost of Rs 25 crore
• The government to continue its efforts to secure an early
• sanction for developing Halwara as an international airport besides getting the status of Chandigarh changed to an international airport
• Rs 120 crore for sarva shikhsha abhiyan (SSA)
• Rs 55 crore for the midday meal scheme
• Rs 20 crore grant for repair and maintenance or construction of additional classrooms in elementary schools
• Rs 4.72 crore for implementation of EDUSAT
• Rs 53.14 crore for extension of ICT project
• Rs 30 crore for augmentation of school infrastructure (money to come from education cess)
• Rs 13 crore for the upgradation of government colleges
• Rs 15 crore for the establishment of the Rajiv Gandhi National Law University at Patiala
• Rs 3 crore for the establishment of the World Punjabi Centre at Patiala

Question Hour
Direct payment of remuneration to sarpanches
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20
The monthly remuneration to sarpanches will be paid direct to them and not through any party MLA or ex-MLA, minister for rural development Ranjit Singh Brahampura said in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. He said the ruling SAD-BJP combine had corrected the wrong committed by the previous Congress government, which was giving the remuneration through MLAs or party workers. Sukhpal Khaira had raised the question.

Sugarcane arrears

A sum of Rs 18.50 crore has been released to clear half of the outstanding arrears of sugarcane farmers. The remaining amount will also be released soon, said the cooperation minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, while replying to a question. Also, the crushing capacity of the cooperative sugar mill at Bhogpur, Jalandhar, was being augmented. Sarbjeet Singh Makkar had raised the issue.

Wildlife warden

Minister for forests Tikshan Sood said there was no provision for having districtwise wildlife wardens. There were two wildlife wardens, Sood said, replying to a question by Ajit Inder Singh Mofar.

Trauma centre

A sum of Rs 1.50 crore has been approved for the trauma centre at Jalandhar while another such centre is being planned on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway, said health minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla while replying to a question.

Tanda issue

There is no move to upgrade Tanda, Hoshiarpur district, from the level of a sub-tehsil to a subdivision, said revenue minister Ajit Singh Kohar while replying to a question by Sangat Singh Gilzian.

ITI at Nathana

Congress MLA Makhan Singh probably summed up the slow pace of the government. He said a question raised by him today on starting an ITI at Nathana was also raised in 1999.

He said the ITI had still not started and there was need to fix responsibility for the delay.

Yadavindra college

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal assured the house that Yadavindra Engineering College at Talwandi Sabo would continue to function at its present location and would not be closed. He was replying to a question raised by Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.