Una-Amritsar train soon: Anurag

Our Correspondent

UNA, NOVEMBER 24

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today called upon people to follow the preachings of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru. He was speaking at the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak organised at the Kila Baba Bedi in Una.

Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, addressing devotees, said a train connecting Una with Amritsar would be started soon, for which he would meet the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Anurag said the Nankana Sahib shrine in Pakistan is the holy place where Guru Nanak lived for most part of his life and preached humanity. He said during Independence, the shrine, which was so close to the border, should have been included in the Indian side.

He said Una had a sizeable population of Sikhs and the train would provide comfortable journey to the devotees going to the Golden Temple.

On the first day of his Una visit, the CM laid the foundation stones or inaugurated government schemes worth about Rs 150 crore. These include foundation stones of multi-village drinking water schemes for Kutlehar and Una segments for Rs 62.63 crore, new building at ITI Una estimated at Rs 11.05 crore, warehouse for EVMs and VVPAT machines Rs 3.74 crore, residential quarters of the Health Department Rs 2.92 crore, rest house in Una city Rs 3.33 crore, a vegetable and grain market building estimated at Rs 29 crore and project for strengthening of road in Kuthar Kalan which will cost Rs 3.2 crore.

Jai Ram inaugurated the newly constructed bus stand in Una on which Rs 35 crore had been spent. He also dedicated to the public the new building of the Una RTO office constructed at a cost of Rs 2.91 crore in Chander Lok Colony.

Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak, whose forefathers fought wars against the Mughals and the British from the Una kila, earlier welcomed Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Union Minister of State Anurag Thakur and other dignitaries at the function.

The CM said places like Kila Baba Bedi in Una were sacred. The government would preserve such places. He announced a grant of Rs 15 lakh to make a stretch of road connecting the old fortress with the national highway in the city. He said the government would consider the demand of according Punjabi, the status of the second language of the state.

BJP State president Satpal Singh Satti, Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda, Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar, Chintpurni MLA Balbir Chaudhary, Gagret MLA Rajesh Thakur, HIMUDA Vice-Chairman Parveen Sharma and HPSIDC Vice-Chairman Ram Kumar were also present.

CM on Ravi-Parmar row

Responding to questions on the social media post involving former minister Ravinder Ravi, Jai Ram Thakur said the government only wanted to know the motive of the person who made the post viral. He said the inquiry report had been received and action would be taken after studying it.

Reacting to allegations by the leader of the Opposition that the mining mafia enjoyed the patronage of the leaders in power, he said the situation was no different during the Congress regime. Mukesh Agnihotri himself was the minister in-charge of the Mining Department. “The Congress has no right to speak on the issue since illegal mining was rampant during their regime,” he said.

Jai Ram said on the completion of two years of the government in power, a programme would be organised to inform the people regarding the achievements of the government.

Rs 150cr schemes for Una district

• The CM lays the foundation stones or inaugurated government schemes worth about Rs 150 crore

• These include foundation stones of multi-village drinking water schemes for Kutlehar and Una segments for Rs 62.63 crore, new building at ITI Una estimated at Rs 11.05 crore, warehouse for EVMs and VVPAT machines Rs 3.74 crore, residential quarters of the Health Department Rs 2.92 crore, rest house in Una city Rs 3.33 crore, a vegetable and grain market building estimated at Rs 29 crore and project for strengthening of road in Kuthar Kalan which will cost Rs 3.2 crore.

• Jai Ram inaugurated the newly constructed bus stand in Una on which Rs 35 crore had been spent

• He also dedicated to the public the new building of the Una RTO office constructed at a cost of Rs 2.91 crore in Chander Lok Colony