Chandigarh, December 21
The union government has agreed to the Punjab government’s proposal for setting up a contingent of the Special Security Guards (SSGs) on the pattern of the National Security Guards (NSGs).
The Centre has agreed to lend full financial assistance to Punjab for setting up this special force.
An assurance to this effect was given by union home minister Shivraj Patil to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a meeting in New Delhi today.
Patil also agreed to bear full financial liability on capital investment in starting a network of training centres in Punjab for the private security personnel to cater to the growing needs of the public and corporate sector.
The CM also urged Patil to immediately release the grant of Rs 20 crore for the Private Security Agency Training Institute at Jehankhelan in Hoshiarpur district. He also demanded a special one-time grant of Rs 150 crore for construction of two new model jails at Kapurthala and Faridkot.
Badal asked the home minister for revamp and modernisation of the state intelligence network by giving adequate special one-time grant besides allocation of more central funds to Punjab for security.
Raising some specific border areas related issues with Patil, the Chief Minister demanded an immediate upward revision of the payment for compensation on regular basis from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,500 per acre per annum, to those farmers whose cultivable and fertile land measuring 18,500 acres was situated across the border fence, to which they had restricted access.
— UNI
