Other States - Punjab   

Centre promises aid for Punjab plan

CHANDIGARH: The Union Government has agreed to lend full financial assistance to Punjab in its path-breaking project of setting up a contingent of Special Security Guards (SSG) in the State cadre on the pattern of the National Security Guards (NSG).

According to an official release here, an assurance to this effect was given by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

The Centre has also agreed to bear full financial liability on capital investment in starting a network of training centres for the private security personnel to cater to the growing needs of the public and corporate sectors.

This scheme, apart from meeting the rising demands for private training personnel in the private sector, would also be a major employment generator providing jobs for nearly 50,000 persons annually.

The Chief Minister also urged Mr. Patil to immediately release a grant of Rs. 20 crore for the Private Security Agency Training Institute at Jehankhelan in Hoshiarpur district.

The Chief Minister also sought a special one-time grant of Rs.150 crore for construction of two new model jails at Kapurthala and Faridkot district headquarters.

He argued that the Union Government should treat Punjab at par with other States affected by violence while providing 100 per cent grants under the modernisation of police force scheme. He also asked the Home Ministry to revamp and modernise the intelligence network by providing more Central funds for security in view of constrained financial resources. Raising some specific border areas-related issues with Mr. Patil, the Chief Minister demanded an immediate increase of the annual compensation from Rs.5,000 to Rs.7,500 per acre for farmers whose cultivable and fertile land measuring 18,500 acres is situated across the border fence to which they have restricted access.

He said the Union Government had not made any payment to these farmers for the past many years while the annual liability on this count works around Rs.9 crore.

Mr. Badal sought the Home Minister’s personal intervention for release of funds under the Border Area Development Programme, where an estimated Rs.200 crore was required for upgrading rural link roads.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Centre promises aid for Punjab plan

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu