On I-Day, Barnala gets Sakhi building, smart school

Tribune News Service

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Barnala, August 16

Independence Day was celebrated with patriotic fervour here at the grain market here on Thursday. Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu unfurled the national flag.

Officers of Punjab Police, members of the Scout Guides and the NCC participated in the march during the function. After the Independence Day function, the Cabinet minister inaugurated a newly constructed building of Sakhi: One Stop Centre inside the Civil Hospital and a smart school at Sekha village here.

Ashu said the sacrifices of martyrs and the freedom struggle had brought peace and prosperity to the country. He added that the contribution of people of Punjab was the highest among all other states across the nation in the freedom struggle.

The minister said as the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev would be organised in November 2019, the Punjab Government had decided to carry out year-long celebrations starting from November 2018. He said Jagatguru Guru Nanak Dev Open University would be established in Patiala and a college at Sultanpur Lodhi.

“The Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government has been continuously working for the development of the state and welfare of its residents. To provide financial assistance to debt-ridden Punjabi farmers, our government has waived the loans of 5.62 lakh farmers. 1.5 lakh more farmers would also be benefitted in the next phase under Debt Relief scheme,” said the minister.

He said they had enhanced the compensation to Rs 12,000 from the previous amount of Rs 8,000 for the crop damage of farmers.

During the inauguration of Sakhi: One Stop Centre (OSC), the Cabinet minister said the Punjab Government had been committed to provide better health and education facilities to common residents. He said OSC was intended to support women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community or at the workplace.

He said women facing any kind of violence like attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honour-related crimes, acid attacks or witch-hunting who have reached out or been referred to the OSC, would be provided with specialised medical, legal, psychological aid.

Former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon, District Sessions Judge Virender Aggarwal, DC Tej Partap Singh Phoolka, SSP Harjit Singh, ADC (G) Ruhee Dugg, ADC (D) Parveen Kumar, SDM Sandeep Kumar, DPO Kulwinder Singh, DEO Secondary Gurpreet Singh Toor, former MLAs Harchand Kaur Ghanauri and Nirmal Singh Nimma also attended the function.