Top officials attend Sangat Darshan, public services hit

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, November 27

Government machinery reportedly stopped working today on the second day of the Chief Minister’s Sangat Darshan in Khadoor Sahib. With all top officials of different departments, including the Deputy Commissioner and the Civil Surgeon, seen attending the programme, public services in the district were hit.

Among those present were Lok Sabha MP Ranjit Brahmpura, district planning committee chairman Ravinder Brahmpura, Special Principal Secretaries to Chief Minister KJS Cheema and Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Inspector General of Police Lok Nath Angra, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap and Deputy Commissioner BS Dhaliwal.

The Chief Minister distributed cheques amounting to Rs 4 crore for development works to panchayats and other organisations of 13 villages.

At the programme, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal reiterated that the state government would help cotton farmers, whose crop was damaged in the whitefly attack. Badal said the process of disbursing compensation of Rs 640 crore to the affected farmers and Rs 64 crore to farm labourers was under way.

The CM further said the state government had started the ‘Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme’ that would provide free train service to holy cities of Sri Nanded Sahib, Varanasi, Katra (Mata Vaishno Devi) and Ajmer Sharif. The pilgrims would also be given free accommodation.

Earlier, addressing the gathering in Kalaah, Kang, Banian and Jahangir villages, Badal exhorted the people to foil any attempt to disturb peace in the state. He also urged the people to attend the Sadbhavna Rallies and spread the message of peace and harmony. He also said the Sangat Darshans were aimed at bringing about development in the state.

The Sangat Darshan programme will resume on November 29 as a Sadbhavna Rally will be held in Moga tomorrow, which Badal will attend. The programme will continue till December 3, covering all the villages of Khadoor Sabha constituency. A by-election will be held here soon as Congress MLA Ramanjit Sikki resigned.

Those at the event

Those attending the programme were Inspector General of Police Lok Nath Angra, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Deputy Commissioner BS Dhaliwal and the Civil Surgeon