Providing good education, health govt’s priority: Singla

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 27

Punjab Education and PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla hoisted the National Flag during a district-level Republic Day function at Raja Bhalindra Singh Sports Complex, Polo Ground, Patiala. He also inspected the parade and contingents of police, home guards, scouts and the NCC. He was accompanied with Patiala MP Preneet Kaur along with other dignitaries.

The minister said education, health and infrastructure development are the top priorities of the state government.

He said the cabinet had given its nod to fill 6,000 vacancies of teachers and all vacant posts in schools will be filled soon. He informed 9,000 schools are in the process of upgrading to smart schools.

Singla said the government has constructed Guru Nanak Super-Specialty Block at Government Rajindra Hospital at a cost of Rs 150 crore, released Rs 44 crore for renovation of medical college at Rajindra Hospital, Rs 7 crore for nursing hostel and Rs 4 crore for dental block. He said a total of 45.89 lakh beneficiaries had been covered under the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana. The government has set up a Cancer Diagnose and Treatment Centre at Homi Bhabha Cancer Care Facility in Sangrur, he added.

He said the state government has established Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University at Patiala to promote sports. Divulging development works of Patiala, he said with Rs 65 crore, 81-km roads were repaired under Patiala Urban Mission, while Rs 5 crore had been released for the projects of Rajindra and Sheesh Mahal Lakes, Rs 7.34 crore for Nullah channelisation and Rs 11 crore for parking lots in the city.

The Education Minister informed that a grant of Rs 37.63 crore had been released for the construction of 2,376 new classrooms in the state and Rs 1,908.7 lakh and Rs 846.01 lakh had been sanctioned for the construction of 202 new libraries and 101 new science labs, respectively.

Singla said that 68,000 new dual desks for elementary school students have been installed and the dearth of furniture in another 4,876 elementary schools will meet soon and work for the same would be started from February. He apprised that a grant of Rs 30.88 crore had been released to install solar panels in 880 schools.

Construction work of 8061 projectors had begun in secondary, high and primary schools across the state, while work for installing 3,107 computers in 333 schools will start in February. The Public Works Minister further informed that Rs.1221 crore for up-gradation of 2559 km roads and Rs.610 crore would be incurred for the construction of railway under and over bridges at 27 locations.

Meanwhile, the Education Minister announced Rs 10,000 per school and college, which participated in the cultural programme. Cabinet Minister Singla and Lok Sabha MP Preneet Kaur honoured freedom fighters and distributed tricycles and sewing machines to the needy.

Parade Commander DSP (Probationer) Prithvi Singh Chahal led the contingents of district police, home guards, the NCC, Air and Army Wings, girl’s battalion, St John’s ambulance red cross, girl guide, scout and first IRB and Patiala pipe band. Tableaux of various department depicting welfare schemes were the main attraction of the event.

Other dignitaries present at the event, included MLAs Rajinder Singh, Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra; Vijay Indra Singla’s mother Usha Singla; KK Sharma, chairman, PRTC; BS Ghuman, VC, Punjabi University; District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Agrawal; Deputy Commissioner Kumar Amit; SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu; MC Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur, ADC (D) Preeti Yadav among others.

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