Freedom fighter Thikriwala’s 91st martyrdom day commemorated

The 91st martyrdom day of Sardar Sewa Singh Thikriwala, a prominent leader of the Praja Mandal Movement and freedom fighter, was observed today at his native Thikriwala village near Barnala. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema led the tributes, acknowledging Thikriwala’s sacrifice and his nine-month hunger strike for the welfare of the people.

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Cheema announced a grant of Rs 20 lakh from his discretionary quota to convert Thikriwala’s ancestral home into a memorial. He also revealed plans to upgrade the village’’s primary school to a “School of Happiness,” with a grant of Rs 1 crore, and allocated Rs 92 lakh for improvements to the Government Senior Secondary School.

The Finance Minister further assured the villagers that the construction of the Nursing College building, promised by Chief Minister Mann, would commence this year. Addressing concerns over irrigation, Cheema announced measures to provide canal water to the fields, combating the rapid decline in underground water levels.

MLA Mehal Kalan Kulwant Singh Pandori highlighted the Punjab Government’s commitment to the village’s development, with investments already made in the pond, outskirts, library, and gym. Ongoing work includes the construction of a bridge at Bhadalwad, funded at Rs 1.59 lakh.

Present at the occasion were Gurudwara Management Committee president Jagsir Singh Aulakh and village Sarpanch Kiranjit Singh Happy.