Tarn Taran Diary: Remembering Prem Singh Lalpura

The name of Prem Singh Lalpura (in pic right) (February 26, 1925, to March 9, 2011) is still remembered as an interesting personality in political circles of the state, particularly in the Majha sector. Lalpura represented the Tarn Taran Vidhan Sabha constituency as an MLA thrice (1980-85), (1985-92) and (1997-2002) as a SAD candidate. He was also elected for the 1997 Lok Sabha election, but he refused to resign from the Vidhan Sabha as he was elected MLA just three months ago. He wanted to remain active in state politics. His refusal led to differences with the party leadership, especially with then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other leaders, which put the SAD leadership in a tight spot. He was elected as the SGPC member at the age of 33 as a loyalist to Sant Fateh Singh. He was elected as the SGPC president (by defeating Akali stalwart Mastar Tara Singh) and remained its president from November 16, 1958, to March 7, 1960. He has been the first youngest president of the SGPC. His tenure as the SGPC president made him a senior leader in Akali politics at a young age. He remained an SGPC member for more than 20 years. He was known as an honest politician. Though he hailed from Lalpur village, he shifted his residence to Tarn Taran city. He was a student of Khalsa College, Amritsar. Besides, he was an avid football player, who also played volleyball and kabaddi games. He denied to abide by the party decision in 1997 to resign from the post of MLA to take oath as a Lok Sabha member, creating his differences with the party leadership for which he was not given the party ticket for the 2002 Vidhan Sabha election. In protest he joined the Congress in 2006 under the leadership of then PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh. His son Daljit Singh Lalpura too joined the Congress in 2006, but he was not accommodated in the 2007 poll by the party. Daljit Singh joined hands with Sukhpal Singh Khaira in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Prem Singh Lalpura died at the age of 86 years.

Work on public toilet hangs fire

Renovation work on the public toilet at Palika Bazar in Tarn Taran town is still far from completion. The work was left midway around six months ago, which is creating problems for residents, particularly women who come to the holy town to pay their obeisance. Most of the pilgrims often park their vehicles in the Palika Bazar, though it is not a legal parking site. As the public toilet had lost all the apparatus, including toilets seats, water tapes, etc, the municipal council started renovating it. The wall was razed to install an exhaust fan and sand was seen sprinkled at the toilet complex. As the (gents) toilet remains locked, both male and female use the lady toilet, creating an awkward situation daily when men enter the toilet and women too enter it. The toilets seem to have never been cleaned for the last few years. No sweeper has been dedicated for the toilets for the last more than four years. So is the condition of almost all public toilets in the town. Even the public toilet in the municipal council complex too cries for proper sanitation and other facilities. Sharanjit Kaur, Executive Officer (EO), Municipal Council, was contacted repeatedly for her comments on the pitiable condition of the toilets in the town, but she did not pick up the phone.

Edu officials for cheating-free exams

Officials of the district education department during a meeting appealed to all sections of society to come forward to cooperate with the department to make cheating-free exams possible and a reality. The meeting was attended by higher district officers, school principals, Block Elementary Education Officers, representatives of the teachers’ organisations and other officials of the department. Jagwinder Singh Lehri, DEO (Elementary), presided over the meeting. Paramjit Singh, Deputy District Education Officer (EE), Rajesh Kumar Sharma, DEO (EE), Amritsar, Jaswinder Singh, BEEO, principal Surinder Kumar, district in-charge, Sikhia Sudhar Committee, principal Tejinder Singh, Birinder Singh Lehri (a lecturer, who conducted the stage) were among others who addressed the meeting. The officials stressed that the overall development of the student was the need of the hour for which his general intelligence quotient (IQ) was enriched. The officials laid stress on organizing educational competitions from time to time. They said they would seek the cooperation of social activists and social organizations in providing playing apparatus, etc, for the physical development of the student. It was resolved to work more hard as the annual exams were drawing near. Contributed by Gurbaxpuri

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